A month in the lives of two csi's
by Avalon Athena
Summary: A regular month in the lives of my favorite two csi's: Grissom and Sara. What will happen in a month that starts with a slow week and when an old friend visits. OC, GSR, please R&R.
1. the slowest week in historie

**A month in the lives of two csi's**.

The slowest week in historie

It had been one of the slowest weeks in decades for the Las Vegas CSI Nightshift. All members had finished their paperwork, even Gil Grissom, the supervisor, had found his desk after going through the stacks of paperwork that had filled his desk up to three nights ago. With all the paperwork out of the way, no courtroom appointments and no current cases, Grissom had found time to submerge himself in one of his old-time favourite pastimes: doing experiments which had formed and prodded in his mind for some time now. However these experiments now had to rest, so Grissom found himself with literally nothing to do in the break-room for the second night in a row. And even the break-room that had always provided him with a forensics magazine, newspaper with a crossword or colleagues to finally talk to, was sorely lacking on all three accounts today. Yes, there were forensic magazines, but he had already read them all in the passed week, as had Sara done, Grissom was certain. Yes, there were newspapers with crosswords, however they were already solved, one half by him and the other half almost certainly by Sara, he knew, just knew it was her.

One of the reasons he knew this, was because he had seen her do crosswords on at least one occasion. Plus his other co-workers were not at all interested in crosswords. Besides they had all done other things. Greg had taken several games to work when he had finished his paperwork and had no old cases. He had felt bored and had seen that also Nick and Warrick had run out of things to do. So Greg had taken monopoly, clue and a set of cards to work next night, just in case there was nothing to do. This was three days ago. Grissom had asked Greg when they had talked two days ago. That was the third thing Grissom did in the break-room: talk to his co-workers, however they had run out of things to talk about yesterday.

Grissom looked around in the break-room, the TV was off ("There is nothing on" Catherine had said), there was no music (We couldn't agree on what to listen to" Greg had explained), the games Greg had brought were scattered around, but nobody except Greg, who was laying out patience, was playing ("We already played the first three hours of shift and we played yesterday shift and the shift before that." .Nick had told him) the coffee pot was empty and turned off ("Nobody wanted coffee, and since we don't have to keep awake nobody put in the effort to make some." Warrick had clarified) and the cupboards with the cups were cleaned ("The book couldn't keep my attention for longer then 5 minutes and I wanted to do something so I cleaned the cupboards and mugs." Sara informed him , without him even asking for an explanation). Grissom glanced at Sara after she had told him of the cleaning. Greg, Nick, Warrick and Catherine were al seated around the table; Greg was playing patience, although Grissom had already seen two cards pass, that he could easily have played; Catherine was reading a magazine although her eyes frequently travelled to the clock on the opposite wall and Warrick was nodding off on his chair while Nick was rearranging the contents of the monopoly game. But Sara was seated or rather lying on the couch in the corner, surrounded with books. Grissom watched her for 10 minutes in which she discarded two books after two minutes, angled a nearby bag with her foot, taking out several more books of which she pushed away three books after merely looking at the title and throwing the last book on the ground after a five minute read. Grissom understood her comment earlier immediately, she couldn't seen to focus on reading, or anything else for that matter and neither could he or any other member of the team. Grissom decided to walk around the lab to see how the lab rats were coping with this week.

When he stepped in the hallway he could hear various kinds of music coming from almost all labs. Archie was watching something on internet, he commented that he had cleaned up his computer an had all the paperwork done, but he was starting to get bored even afted Days had given him something to do that was done within five minutes. Mia in DNA had used the extra time to clean, just like Sara, but had finished this a couple of hours ago and was now reading a magazine called Cosmopolitan, because she had read her professional literature for this month. Bobby from fire-arms had test fired all firearms in possession of the lab and catalogued all striation marks on these bullets, just for the sake of doing something. Hodges from Trace was dancing, Grissom decided he didn't want to know, so he moved on quickly to Jackie at fingerprints. She had taken a leaf out of Robbie's book and fingerprinted everybody in her vicinity to frighten boredom away. It wasn't working, Jackie sighed. Down in the morgue doc. Robbins was the only one not complaining because he had finally found time to finish the book he was reading.

Convinced of the facts that this was fastly becoming the slowest week in history and that everybody even the lab rats were becoming stir-crazy, Grissom walked back to the break-room. Upon entering his cell phone rang, five exited, expectant and hopefull faces turned to him. "Hi Brass." Grissom answered, confirming the thoughts of his co-workers.

"Hi Grissom, how is everything?"

"Slow, do you have anything for us?"

"No, I just thought I would give you a ring. See how you're doing."

"Well, I'm fine, just very very bored, like every single person in the lab. This place has never been this clean and paperwork free, Even Ecklie admitted that when I came in this night." Grissom looked at his co-workers, who had realised that there was no case; Warrick nodded off again, Catherine resumed hypnotizing the clock, Nick was reorganizing the clue game, which was apparently the last game, seeing the stack of games next to him, Greg was staring at the patience game completely missing the solution and Sara was staring at him, with her beautiful brown eyes. Grissom mouthed a "I'm sorry" to her and she simply nodded and continued to look at him. Grissom suddenly felt the urge to send everybody home, wrap his arm around Sara's shoulders and take her home. Back home he would cook diner and afterwards they would recline on their sofa with a nice glass of wine. Grissom was so lost in his thoughts that he had missed Brass's comment.

"I'm sorry Brass, what did you say?"

"I said that the criminals might have gotten smarter and only commit crimes during the day, because the nightshift CSI is too good, they never get away."

"If that is the case this week should have happened a couple of years ago."

"That is true."

"Well I'm going to have to do something before someone here commits murder out of boredom or just to give the others something to do. Bobby from firearms fired all firearms we have here and processed the bullets just to have something to do. And nobody is save around Jacky because she fingerprints everybody, because she is bored out of her mind."

"Okay you guys need to do something. I'm gonna go 'cause I've got paperwork to finish."

"Ah, right, all paperwork, even that from my desk is done. See you Jim."

"Bye Grissom." With a smile on his face Grissom closed his cell phone. He looked straight at Sara who started to talk: "We know everything you just said is true. So what are you going to do?"

"I'm sending you all home. Keep your cell phones on, just in case we get a case."

"Fat chance." mumbled Warrick from his spot in the chair.

"Well we are in Vegas, maybe tomorrow the tables will turn." Grissom replied with a smirk. Everybody sniggered at his remark, grabbed their stuff and piled out of the break room. Grissom walked to Sara who was gathering her books. "I'm going to tell Eckley what I've done, I'll see you in the locker room."

"Sure, see you there." Sara returned to the job at hand and continued to fill her bag with the books she had taken from their home.

Five minutes later Grissom entered the locker room. "There you are. Did everything work out with Eckley?" Sara was seated on the bench rummaging around in her bag. "Yes but let's go quickly before he realizes that he agreed with me." Grissom turned to his locker and grabbed the stuff he needed. He opened the door for Sara to pass and when she had, placed his arm around her shoulder while the locker room door closed behind them.

When they got home everything happened just as Grissom had fantasized it would go. While he made diner Sara put away the books and his bag. When Sara was setting the table, after feeding Bruno, Grissom realized he liked living with Sara, he liked seeing her rummaging around the house, straightening the curtains, clearing away things that were lying around, all those small things that made this feel like home.

During diner they discussed all kinds of things. Sometimes they would pour over cases, but since neither had cases, this topic was off the table. But often the conversations started with a question Sara had regarding bugs or something else she had spotted in one of the many articles or books she read or Grissom would have an idea for an experiment and run this passed Sara to gather her ideas on it. They were either on equal ground on a topic or one would educate the other on something they had read or studies previously, but they were always listening to each other and let the other be him or herself. They had never felt the need to judge or ridicule the other. They were together and that mattered to them.

"Sara, this friend of yours that was coming over, when would she arrive? Grissom asked while they sipped their wine and watched Bruno chew on a bone. "She would be arriving tomorrow midday, with all the luck she was having." Sara replied, Grissom turned to her and showed a thoroughly confused face. Sara laughed and explained: "She called yesterday around three, remember we woke from our sleep, because of her call?"

"Oh, right, I fell right back to sleep."

"I know. Well she was waiting to board the plane, but with all the strikes she didn't know if she was going to get the connection to the next plane. If she had, she would have arrived tonight, but if she didn't and she was having quite a lot of bad luck she would arrive tomorrow, around noon or even three."

"Is she gonna call so we can pick her up?"

"No, she told me not to worry, she would find her way herself. She didn't want to deprive me of any more sleep. Right now I wished she would call. It would give me something to do, this is most possibly the most boring week in history."

"I know, even the labrats are at a loss for something to do. Brass reckons it's because the criminals know they are not going to get away with it with this CSI nightshift."

"Wouldn't this have happened a couple of years ago if that was the case?"

"Precisely what I told him. Still it is a compliment." Replied Grissom, leaning in to kiss Sara. He lifted the wineglass out of Sara's hand and placed it on the table. "Come on, let's walk Bruno and go to bed." Hearing his name, Bruno lifted his head and trotted after Grissom and Sara who were heading to the front door.

"He, Bruno, let's go for a walk, what do you say?" Bruno barked happily in reply of Sara's question. Ï thought so, come on let's get your leash. There we go." Sara clipped on Bruno's leash and hooked her arm in the arm Grissom offered. And so the neighbours saw them take off, like they had done before: two crime scene investigators who worked at night, but always took the time to walk their dog together in the early morning, and when they returned the curtains in the bedroom would close and they would sleep, preparing, gathering energy for the gruelling night ahead.


	2. cases and an arrival

Cases and an arrival

This night started the same way the others had: no cases. Nick and Greg had started a game of chess, Warrick was pouring over the new newspaper and Catherine had found the new forensics magazines in the post and claimed them first, she was reading them on the couch. She hadn't defended them well enough, because Sara had been able to snatch one and was reading it curled up in a chair.

Four hours into shift Grissom came walking back in, after he was called away for a phone call. "Okay Sara, you and I have a b& e, let's go." Without waiting for a response Grissom had tuned around. He could hear the complaints from the others clearly however. He heard Sara's footsteps which followed him to the car.

After strapping herself in Sara turned to Grissom: "Why are you coming? It's just a B&E, I can handle it myself."

"Well I'm not going to sit idly by while the others plan my death for letting you have this case."

"They wouldn't, it was my turn."

"That was my theory, but I value my life too much to actually test it. I have just returned from Bobby who was testing at which angle each bullet fired from each rifle or firearm owned by the lab, would inflict the most damage to a body, out of boredom. Not even out of curiosity, but simply because he didn't have anything to do. Mandy was looking rather murderous, when she sapped at me, after I asked her politely how she was doing, that she was really going to kill the next person to ask her that and if I could be so 'friendly' not to even attempt at asking her what she was doing, because she couldn't promise me I wasn't going to get seriously hurt." After hearing all this Sara had the cheek to start laughing.

"Sara, I'm serious: each and every one of the people in there is crazy and I'm not risking my life."

"Are you going to make someone happy after returning from this crime scene?" Sara asked, trying to contain her laughter.

"I seriously doubt that. There were no guns, so Bobby will continue to shoot all firearms possessed by CSI, which is a lot. The thief was evidently caught on tape, so Archie might have to tear himself away from the internet for a brief period, but it is most likely for something he could do sleeping. I hope for Jacky's sake and mind and the apprehension of others for Jacky, that there are going to be plenty of fingerprints. And lastly I highly doubt that there will be DNA, so when I return I will steer clear of Mia, I advice you to do the same."

"Okay, we're here, let's see who is going to love us for bringing them something to do." Sara released her seatbelt and left the car. Grissom followed her and with her walked to Jim Brass, who was standing at the smashed door of an exclusive dress store. "Hey Jim. Are you the one who has prevented a murder at the CSI lab?" Sara greeted the detective. Brass turned to the two csi's and looked at Sara confused. "I'm sorry Sara, but what are you talking about?"

"Oh nothing, ask Grissom later, make sure you ask for the extended version." Brass was getting more confused by every word that Sara spoke. "Care to enlighten me, Grissom?" He asked the man standing next to Sara.

"I'll tell you later, now what do we have here?"

"A break in and enter, someone smashed the door, so heavily it also smashed the security system. Then he/she evidently walked around the shop, ripping clothes off hangers and desks. He finally stopped at the till, broke it open and by that triggered the silent alarm attached to the till."

"Why was there a second alarm in the till?"

"I don't know yet Sara, the owner is coming seen, she needed to dress first."

"Okay, let's go inside." Grissom was eager to start. But when they had just entered the building, Brass' phone started to ring. With a wave Brass told Sara and Grissom to go ahead without him.

"Brass."

"Yes sir. I'll be there a.s.a.p."

"No, I'll tell him, he is here."

"Yes okay." After shutting his cell phone Brass went inside.

"Hey Grissom, someone committed a murder. Can I get some csi's? I'll also need you, there are bugs." Brass relayed to Grissom. Grissom nodded and started to grab his cell phone, but before he could do anything he heard Sara: "Well, I guess that makes you two gentlemen the heroes who saved the lab's mental health."

"I guess it does honey. Get the guy who did this, because it is rumoured that day's let him walk two times. Prove for me that nightshift is still better?" Grissom asked Sara and after giving her a friendly pat on the shoulder called the other csi's.

Sara didn't need to hear the phone call Grissom made, she could see the reactions of her co-workers very vividly: _Catherine would take the call, answer in mindlessly, then upon hearing Grissom revealing a case with a dead body would sit u, place the magazine on the couch and walk with the phone still attached to her ear to the guys. They would already be paying attention, the chess game and newspaper forgotten. Then Catherine would tell them the specifics of the case and the three men would argue about who would be driving. _Sara knew it would be pointless: _Catherine would drive, no matter how much they argued. When they would take a second vehicle the guys would resort to paper, rock and scissors to resolve the matter of who would be driving._ Sara smiled to herself, in the end it wouldn't matter who would be driving, they would be pleased just to be in the filed working. Still smiling Sara started to process the scene that was starting to prove to be an open and shut case.

In the mean time Grissom was racing back to the lab. He needed some more jars before he could go to the crime scene. At the lab he was greeted with a peculiar sight. There was a cyclist standing on the pavement, looking at the building. Grissom shook his head and moved into the building. Tourists were never around the labs, there was no museums nearby, this one was surely lost. Quickly Grissom grabbed some specimens jars and left the building.

"Excuse me sir, could I ask you a question?" the cyclist had not moved, still looking at a map, a business card and the building. "I'm in quite a rush." Grissom replied politely.

"I just want to know whether this is the crime scene investigation laboratory." The cyclist replied, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Yes, this is the csi lab."

"Thank you, sorry for keeping you."

"No problem." Grissom was already walking to his car.

While Grissom was driving to the crime scene he started to wonder what the cyclist wanted. For as far as he knew no one had said anything about expecting someone. But then again not everybody told him who they had invited. The lab didn't get much visitors, usually they were relatives of the people working there, but somehow this person didn't fit in. Well she, it had been a woman, was probably lost and needed a reverence point. The reason as to why she had been on a bicycle eluded him however. No person in their right mind would want to cycle in the Nevada dessert, or Las Vegas city for hat matter. Touring around in a car was already dangerous within the city, going around on the bicycle was nothing short of murderous. And thus Grissom's mind returned to the murder scene he was about to process.

"There you are." Catherine greeted Grissom when he cam in "We were wondering where you were."

"I'm sorry, I had to return to the lab to get some specimen jars and I was slightly delayed." explained Grissom while the were walking to the house. "What do we have?"

"Well the deceased kept several different kinds of insects. Somehow the terrariums were smashed, the insects are everywhere. I hope you can find the time of death, David wasn't really sure, he said.."

"Don't tell me. I'll see what the insects tell me. I'm glad I went to the lab to get some more jars." Grissom told Catherine when he saw several insects scurry away as they walked through the house.

"Well he died amidst his beloved creatures."

"They do say that there is no better way to die then surrounded by your loved ones."

"Whatever, could you focus on the insects? I've got Nick on the upstairs rooms, Warrick on this level, Greg on the perimeter and I'm staying with the body." Catherine waved her hands around, indicating the rooms and areas she had mentioned.

"Okay, Catherine."

For two hours straight the csi's worked silently, photographing and collecting evidence. Then the silence was interrupted by Grissom's phone. "Grissom" Grissom answered without checking caller ID.

"Hey Grissom, you took the car and now I'm stuck on my crime scene. Could someone please come pick me up?"

"I'm sorry Sara. Isn't there an officer with you?" Grissom looked around, recounting his steps. He had been so rushed he had completely forgotten that he and Sara had travelled together with one car. When Sara replied tat the officer had left after a call from central, Grissom became a little worried, he knew Sara was reasonably save, since it was a crowded area, but still. "Listen Sara, I'm almost done here, I'll come and pick you up. Will you please be careful."

"I'm always careful, just come and get me."

"I will." closing his cell phone Grissom started to pack everything he had. He called out to Catherine: "Catherine, I've got to pick up Sara. I took the car and the officer left. Could you take the rest off the terrariums? I'm done here for know."

"Okay Grissom, we will be here just a bit longer."

Half an hour late Grissom and Sara were heading back to the lab. Grissom had just parked the car on the parking lot when a bicycle caught his eye. Before he could comment on it, Sara had exited the car. "Griss, I really have to use the bathroom. I'll come back and help you with the evidence you collected, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, go on." Grissom walked to the back of the car tot the opened booth, from which Sara had already taken her evidence.

Sara was in such a rush that she didn't hear Judy calling out to her. Sara logged her evidence and then sprinted to the bathroom. When she passed the reception on her way out to help Grissom, Judy called her again: "Sara?"

"Yes Judy?" Sara turned to the receptionist.

"You've got a visitor."

"Oh? Where?"

"She is seated there, the woman with the laptop. She came in two, three hours ago." Judy pointed to a young woman seated on the floor with the laptop placed on the chair. "Thanks Judy." Sara could barely contain herself when she walked to the person in question. "Leena?" The young woman turned, stood and smiled.

"Sara." The two women hugged.


	3. meeting someone new

Meeting someone new

In the parking lot Grissom had taken his evidence out of his car and started walking to the entrance of the building, until his eye fell on the bicycle standing against a pole. Grissom walked to the bicycle, that had piqued his interest. He was rather confident it was the same bike the cyclist had ridden. While he was observing the bike his co-workers started piling out of the cars, which had arrived just after his. They saw Grissom and intrigued walked over to him. "Hey Grissom, what are you looking at?" asked Nick, but before Grissom could respond, Greg had exclaimed: "Wow, nice ride, it's not a motorbike, but still. Who's is it?"

"I don't know Greg."

Meanwhile Sara had told her friend she needed to help someone. "Oh go ahead, I'm going to ask Judy if she could look after my stuff, while I go outside to check something."

"Sure, I'll be outside." Sara walked out and saw her colleagues grouped together.

"Hey Grissom, sorry I got detained, but I'm here to help." Before Sara could articulate the question that was easily readable in her eyes, Greg turned to her with an ecstatic face: "Hey Sar, there is a sweet ride here, do you know who's it is?"

"Greg, the only thing you get exited about are motorbikes and I don't know anyone with a bike."

"It is not a bike, it is a bicycle." Greg pointed to the bicycle, but before Sara could react, they heard a voice behind them: "Excuse me? Can I help you?" all men turned to the woman who had talked. "No, we were just admiring this bicycle, we were wondering who owned it." Warrick spoke as they took in the appearance of the woman, she was quite tall, just a bit taller than Sara, she had naturally straight brown hear, that seemed copper coloured in the rising sun. It was bound in a messy ponytail, which was endearing. And her eyes were a bluish grey colour, they were sizing the boys up. At the moment she was about to answer, Catherine called out to the men to get the evidence in the lab. Nick, Warrick and Greg didn't acknowledge Catherine and continued to stare at the woman. She had turned to the blonde woman who had called, then questioningly turned to Sara. "Okay guys, listen up: you bring in the evidence and start on it. I'll introduce you at the end of shift." When Nick, Greg and Warrick had left, Leena turned to Sara: "I was meaning to ask you if I could put my bike inside somewhere."

"Yes, Grissom? Could Leena put her bike in the garage?" Sara turned to Grissom, who was waiting for her to join him. Sara saw his blank expression and decided an introduction was in order, she should have done that first of course. "I'm sorry, Griss, This is Leena Janssen." Sara indicated Leena with her hand and raised an questioning eyebrow: "Pronounced correctly?" she inquired.

"Yes, pretty much." Leena laughed.

"Leena, this is Gil Grissom, supervisor of the nightshift and…"before Sara could finish her sentence, Leena finished it for her and offered her hand for greeting to Grissom. "You're other half. Sara told me a lot about you dr. Grissom. Nothing but good lately." with a radiant smile that could almost rival Sara's, Leena shook Grissom's hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you finally. I hope I'm not invading your privacy too much by staying with you and Sara. Sara told me repeatedly that it was fine." Grissom was a bit taken back when Leena started talking so fast.

"No, it is fine, Sara told me of your stay a couple of weeks ago. It's fine. And yes you can put your bike in the garage for the remainder of shift. We don't need it, but you can close it, so your bike should be fine." Grissom smiled at Leena and realised she was different then how he had envisioned her. He was riled from his thoughts by Sara: "Let's go and get this evidence logged or Catherine will have our hides. Leena you can follow me, I'll show you the garage, it's this way." With a wink for Grissom, Sara turned to show Leena the way. Sara knew that people usually had a different image of Leena than she really was. And even now Grissom hadn't had a real view of Leena. Sara knew a lot of people, but none where as complicated or hard to read as Grissom and Leena, but she trusted them both and knew this trust rewarded.

Sara and Leena reached the garage, where Leena locked her bicycle and took some luggage off. "I need to hang this, I hope it isn't wrinkled too much." Leena regarded Sara.

"Come on you can hang it in the break room. You can also wait there."

"Show me where it is, so I can get my laptop from Judy."

"Sure." Sara showed Leena the break room, which they found exactly like Sara it had envisioned. The chess game was sitting on the table, waiting for it's masters to finish it. Next to it was an open newspaper, left where Warrick had stopped reading and on the couch lay several scattered magazines. "I'm sorry, it's a bit of a mess. They left in quite a hurry." Sara apologised to Leena, who responded with: "It's okay, I just need a small space to work. Just one more request. Is there a shower I could use. I have my own stuff, but I travelled for, I guess, more then thirty hours."

"Sure come on. Better make a good impression and I know how much a shower is needed after long travels." While they walked to the showers they chatted like old friends, Sara pointing occasionally at a lab they were passing.

"Thanks Sara, sorry for keeping you from your work. I'll see your at the end of shift."

Half an hour before the end of shift someone knocked on Grissom's door, he looked up from his work. "Come in." Grissom couldn't figure out who would disturb him. He was surprised by the visitor, it sounded in his voice: "Leena? What can I do for you?"

"Well, I fell asleep on the couch in the break room, when Greg came bouncing in, literally. He woke my unintentionally, but still I woke with a killer headache. Greg told me to go to you for some pills, he said you would have some. My own are somewhere in y bags, but I can't focus long enough to remember where."

"Oh, sure, what do you need? It's no migraine is it? Because I can't give you my medication." Grissom was already rummaging in his bag.

"No, no migraine, just a headache from jet lag, I think. An aspirin or paracetamol would do."

"But those are in a cupboard in the break room."

"Greg seemed to think I needed something stronger, he wouldn't let it go and my brain was in no state to argue. Sorry."

"No, it's okay, I know how Greg can get. Here you go, take it with plenty water." Grissom handed her some pills and saw her leave. He turned back to his work, only to be interrupted right away by Sara. "I saw Leena leave, what did she need? I told her she could come and find me." Sara closed the door and crossed to Grissom's desk. Grissom looked into her brown eyes and told her what had happened.

"Leena doesn't have migraines." Sara interrupted when Grissom told her of Greg sending Leena to him for medication. "Besides you can't give away your own medication." Grissom marvelled once again at the way his and Sara's mind seem to be working on the same wavelength, speed and accuracy.

"I know, I told her the exact same thing and she told me she didn't have migraines, just a headache from jet lag."

"And probably little sleep. She told me she travelled for over thirty hours."

"She could have slept on the plane." Sara regarded Grissom and then replied: "She doesn't sleep much on moving things, only when she is extremely tired."

"Okay. Listen why don't you introduce her to the others so we can go home and she can get some sleep?"

"Sounds like a good plan." Sara started to turn around, but Grissom stopped her by grabbing her hand. "One more question Sara, how did the B & E go? Did you manage to get the guy?"

"Actually, yes I did. He was caught on camera, but his prints were not in AFIS."

"So how did you get him?"

"Well, the guy's prints matched those that were taken by days when they were investigating the other B & E's. He worked with the security company that installed the alarm at the door. The owner of the store didn't trust the company, so he had another silent alarm installed with the till."

"How come days missed this?"

"Because of the silent alarm. With the other two robberies, he had time to clean the prints, he didn't now. He heard police cars and rushed out, overturning the stands, leaving a large mess."

"Why did he rob these places?" Grissom wondered.

"I don't know, but I do know that this guy knew that the system at the door could be knocked out by great force on the door. There seems to be some negligence on the security company's part. They knew about this fault, had received numerous complaints about this fault, however there is no evidence that they indeed were attempting to change it."

"Okay, great work Sara. I'll see you in a minute." Grissom released Sara's hand and started to pack some papers.

In the break room the team had gathered. When it took Sara a long time to come, they had introduced themselves to Leena. "Oh I see you have already met." Sara commented upon entering the break room. "How did you two meet?" Nick wondered, no one on the team had ever encountered a friend of Sara from outside of work.

"We met on a seminar, where Leena talked on personality traits. Afterwards we had tea and talked. Since then I've emailed her and she me." Sara explained.

"When was this seminar?"

"Three years ago here in Las Vegas. Another friend told me about the seminar and suggested I go there. Actually you also talked on the development of trauma's in children and it's effects and tips to help them, right?"

"Yes, that was my subject, the other was due to an illness of the actual speaker. "Leena confirmed. The faces of the team members were all turned to Leena in bewilderment. Greg asked the question that was on everyone's mind: "How old are you?" Leena didn't look shocked but didn't answer right away. Grissom talked from the doorframe: "Greg, someone once told me that you never ask a lady her age."

"I know Grissom, but did you hear…"

"Yes I heard, it doesn't…"

"It doesn't matter dr. Grissom. A lot of people ask me that question, when they hear what I've already done. I'm 28 Greg, I was 25 when I gave the talk Sara is revering to."

"28. Wow you're young." Exclaimed Catherine.

"Thank you Catherine. I studied Child Development in the Netherlands. I was done when I was 22. The opportunity to go to America came and I took it. I made a few friends here, amongst which Sara."

"So what are you going to do here?"

"I'm on holiday, I'm going to meet some other friends, I've been asked to sing in a choir, because one of their members is seriously ill. I'll heave some concerts later on and I'm going to visit the university here. So I have a full schedule. But right now I'm hoping to go to Sara's and get some sleep."

"Sure, let's go." Sara leapt into action and send her team-mates her goodbye. Grissom followed Leena and Sara at a leisurely pace.


	4. home, dinner and a talk

Home, dinner and a walk

Grissom turned the car onto the driveway. The garage door opened and Grissom drove the car into the garage. "Listen, why don't you tow take care of Leena's bike, then I'll cook some eggs for breakfast."

"Okay Gil. We'll see you in a few minutes." Sara opened the trunk of the car which held Leena's bike and bags.

Grissom opened the door to the house and was greeted by Bruno. "Hey there boy, would you like some breakfast?" Bruno barked approvingly. "Come on then, to the kitchen. Those two ladies will want something to eat too. "In the kitchen Grissom prepared some eggs and set the table while he listened to Sara and Leena walking inside the house. He could hear Sara reassure Leena that she wasn't imposing and telling her where the guestroom was and where the bathroom was. He heard them rummaging around in the guestroom and then heard them coming down to the living room. "Bruno is a very easily excitable dog, he'll probably try to jump you and lick your face. Just to warn you." Sara opened the door and sure enough Bruno came galloping to Sara. "Hey there boy, how are you? Yes, we have a guest. You just be friendly okay?" Bruno wagged his tail and started to sniff Leena's hand that she had stretched to the dog. "Hello Bruno." Leena stroked Bruno's head and established a friendship with the dog right there and then.

"Breakfast is ready." Grissom called out. Sara had already came in to the kitchen to share a kiss with him, while Leena was playing with Bruno.

"It smells great. I think I would like something." Leena said while she went to sit down. "My rhythm of sleep and eating is so messed up right now." Grissom and Sara joined her at the table.

"You're quite good with Bruno." Grissom commented.

"I'm good with animals and children. I have much more problems being liked by adults." Leena told Grissom.

"Don't be so modest Leena, you're great with animals and children. I think you could handle Gil's tarantula." Sara exclaimed, she continued: "I've seen her calm a child with just one touch."

"I don't think I'm going to give this tarantula business a shot dr. Grissom." Leena had seen a shimmer of excitement in Grissom's face.

"Please call me Grissom, everybody does."

"You can call me Leena and I'm still not going to give the tarantula business a shot. Sara had already told me of your fascination with the insects, so I didn't freak out over the displays in the house." Grissom send a questioning glare to Sara, she held up her hands in defence.  
"You like them, I think they are fine, but others might think of them as an odd and frightening display of decorations. I don't want our first ever friend to stay over freaked out by them. Don't glare at me." Sara smiled.

"I'm not freaked out by them. I'm not one to judge, but I am a little bit relieved that Sara told me before." Leena intervened.

"It's okay." Grissom sulked, but Sara saw in his eyes that he didn't really had felt offended. He knew how others could regard him and his insects. Then Bruno nudged Grissom's leg and Leena yawned. "I think Leena should get some sleep and Bruno wants to walk." Sara stated while getting up from the table, she took the plates to the sink and placed them there. Leena followed her with the glasses: "Are you sure Grissom is okay?"

"Yeah, he was just pretending to sulk, he knows how people can take his fascination. I had already told him I wrote you about that, he said it was probably a good idea. Don't worry, he likes to tease me sometimes. Now you go on upstairs and sleep. I'll wake you for dinner, after that Gil and I go to work and you can get some more sleep."

"Could you actually wake me four or three hours before dinner so after dinner I'll be sleepy again?"

"Sure have a good rest." Sara assured Leena, who walked to the stairs.

"Have a nice rest Leena." Grissom called to her from the hallway, where he put Bruno on the lease.

"Thank you."

Sara and Grissom walked a long way to one of the parks that lay in the neighbourhood. They would alternate between three parks. In the park they let Bruno run free and found a bench after being halted by several fellow dog owners they occasionally saw, while walking Bruno.

"So what do you think of Leena?" Sara started, after they had sat down.

"From what I saw she is great, outgoing and refreshing."

"She is great, but not really outgoing I think. She likes to stay at home and read, but on the other hand she also likes to go to a bar and drink something."

"How do you know all these things?"

"Well, three years ago we spend some time together and two years ago just after we got Nick back, she came here again on a short holiday." Sara rubbed Bruno behind the ears and he ran off again.

"I can't shake the feeling that I've seen her before."

"You have, you came with me to the talk she gave on traumatized children. Three years ago, remember? You liked her talk." Sara recounted for him.

"Wait, wasn't that right after your DUI? The talk the PEAP counsellor suggested."

"Yes, you had to go to a case. The talk was almost over. I remember being afraid that you might have connected some of the signs Leena described to some of my behaviour. I was terrified that you might find out I had suffered a trauma. But you never did. Y was glad, because it was something I had to tell you in my own time." Both Grissom and Sara remembered the loaded and emotional talk they had had when Sara told him about the family in which she was raised and the horrors she had seen as a young child.

"This is the same woman? I thought she had a different name."

"Well her Dutch name is kind of difficult to pronounce, so she said Leena was okay, it's something of a abbreviation from her Dutch name."

"Okay, wait, I loved her talk, she used our knowledge to teach us her knowledge. She linked it perfectly. This is her? And she is 28? No wonder Greg wanted to know her age."

"It's a reaction she gets often. Her knowledge and wisdom indicates an older age. Leena is a wonderful person with a great intuition and understanding. She says she is socially inept, but she knows the social rules. Everybody forms an opinion on her, but she surprises them always. But in the meantime she is as secretive as hell. Still she is great. Say how was you murder?" Sara suddenly remembered the case that had saved the nightshifts mental health.

"A guy was stabbed to death. But there were a lot of complications. He had a lot of living insects and some reptiles, primarily snakes and turtles. The terrariums were smashed, so all of them escaped, some had started eating the man. Time of death is going to be impossible to determine. Nature didn't really go the same way as it would normally does in the dessert or woods. The space was confined, scorpions, beetles, spiders were all on the body. But this guy had a great collection."

"Are you jealous?"

"No, sure he had a great collection of rare insects, but there was no indication that he was married or let other people into his life. Although he was loved in his neighbourhood, he showed children his bugs and no one in his block had a reason to murder him. I'm not jealous, I was like him tough, before I met you."

"Was he an entomologist?"

"No, there aren't that many around. I didn't know him, neither did any of the other entomologists I called. I'm pretty sure he was a hobbyist."

"Is it a complicated case?"

"Not directly, when the bugs and funk were removed and his life was checked, the case became much more straightforward. All evidence is currently pointing to a b&e gone wrong, but we will have to wait for all the evidence before we are sure."

"So this case is going to wrap up quickly?"

"I guess so. I still have the insects to process and bite marks to check. But I think our colleagues will be in the break room dwindling their thumbs again tomorrow."

"I'll be joining them. The day shift is checking the company. Eckley's orders." Sara quickly added, when she saw Grissom questioning look.

"Why does Eckley want them to check the last bit, I thought it was your idea?"

"It is and I fought Eckley on it, but he wanted Days to do it. Something about not wanting to give me an excuse to put in overtime in this slow week. I think Eckley just wanted to torture me into another slow shift. Come let's go home. All this excitement from an actual case, Leena arriving and fighting Eckley has worn me out." Sara rise and called for Bruno who came thundering down. Together they went home to get a good days sleep.


	5. cases and a call for help

Cases and a call for help

Next shift the gods who provided work triumphed over those that spread boredom. When the team gathered in the beginning of shift, Grissom came in holding assignment slips in his hands. "Okay guys the criminals of Las Vegas have been so gracious as to provide us with work. Hopefully we can start walking around the lab not being afraid to be tackled by Jackie for our fingerprints or to ask Mia friendly questions. And with a lot of luck tonight can save the bullet supply room from drying up." Grissom had been seriously concerned about the mental health of some of the lab rats, but with these assignments it might be saved in time.

"Catherine, how is yesterday's case going?"

"Fine, evidence suggests a b & e gone wrong, we have some leads as to who the perpetrators are: some unknown DNA samples and fingerprints. Several officers are checking the hospitals to see if anyone was brought in with odd insect bites. Nothing yet, but I'll check with them."

"Good, keep taps on that case. To prevent you from being bored while waiting for results, here is your case: neighbours reported a nasty smell. Police isn't completely sure whether there is a body or whether it's just the cats."

"Cats?"

"Apparently someone in that streets owns a large amount of cats, ASPCA is also coming. Warrick, Greg, a huge crash on Boulder Highway. Nick a break-in in the university, it is both a break-in in the computer network as well as an actual break-in. Take Archie, I think you'll need him and for him it is a change of scenery. Sara, you and I have a double murder in a family, two children survived. Let's go people." Grissom drove nightshift our of the break room, that had become way to familiar.

Sara and Grissom arrived at their crime scene thirty minutes later. They were greeted by a harassed looking Brass: "Finally you made it. The two parents are dead, the two children over there are in shock. No one has been able to talk to them. David is already inside. I'm gonna do my thing and then head off, there is another crime scene that needs my attention. It got called in just five minutes ago." Brass recounted. Grissom looked at him "ff you need a csi there call Warrick or me. The others are solo."

"Okay, I'll remember that." Brass took off to instruct other officers, talk to several onlookers and checked with the medics and children before getting in his car, a good forty minutes later.

Meanwhile Sara and Grissom set to work. Sara went to the children who were sitting in an ambulance. The children didn't have any injuries, but were it seemed in shock. They didn't respond to anything that was being said other than glancing into the direction or the person that was saying something. They did respond to touching, when Sara started processing them initially they backed up, so Sara let them behind with a medic to consult with Grissom, who had gone inside to find David.

Grissom turned to Sara as she entered the room, but before he could ask she had asked him: "What do we have?"

"Two dead bodies, one male, one female, both in their thirties. Viewing the pictures they were married and the two children outside are their children."

David took over: "The two adults were stabbed repeatedly, pretty fiercely. Time of death approximally two hours ago."

Grissom turned to Sara: "How are the children?"

"They are not responding, they are not deaf, they focus on the person who speaks to them, but do not respond verbally. When I tried to collect evidence they backed away, so I'm not doing anything until we know that they understand what we are doing. Where is child services? Did anyone contact them?"

"Brass said they were contacted but they themselves are flooded, someone is coming as soon as possible, but it could be half an hour to an hour."

"We can't leave them here, I'm going to go back to see if there is a change."

"Okay." Grissom watched Sara take off, knowing she too would be thinking of the lecture Leena had given three years back. The longer the children remained here, the more risk that they would have lasting effects. Besides these children needed help. Grissom turned his attention back to the crime scene. Solving this crime would be another thing that needed to be done. He saw David zip up the body bags and taking them away. For fifteen minutes Grissom walked around in the house taking pictures and collecting evidence before Sara returned.

"Where is child services?"

"They haven't arrived yet?"

"No, plus we have another problem, these children don't speak English and don't understand what we are saying."

"How do you know this?"

"The older one, 7 years old, spoke but neither the medic or me could understand anything he was saying. Is there an indication as to from which country they are, in here?"

"I did find evidence of another home country. Here these letters were not written in English, but from a quick peek I can't say which language." Grissom gave several bagged letters to Sara.

"I can't decipher them so quickly, can we just walk the house. The living room first." Sara and Grissom walked into the living room. They found several framed pictures, a bookcase, a coffee table, a tv-set and a couch. All relatively undisturbed. Sara picked up a framed picture of the family, suddenly she saw something that peeked her interest. She walked to the bookcase were Grissom was already standing. "Some of these titles are not English." Grissom commented.

"I know. I think I know from which country they were."

"Really? How?"

"The pictures." Sara showed Grissom the framed pictures. "Here, they are standing in front of several windmills. Here they are standing on a dam of which Leena once showed me pictures. This family comes from the Netherlands."

"Are you sure?"

"Only one way to find out for certain quickly." Sara grabbed her cell phone and punched in her home number, after several rings it was picked up: "Sidle-Grissom residence."

"Leena?"

"Yes, Sara what's the matter? Why are you calling at this hour?"

"I need your help with some children, could you get a cab and meet me at this address?" Sara gave Leena the address, who said she would come as soon as possible.

"I don't suppose you've got toys here, do you, Sara?" Leena asked in an afterthought.

"Toys for children? No not yet." When she said those words and saw Grissom straighten up and look in her diretion and hear a surprised intake of breath from Leena, Sara knew she had said too much and squeezed her eyes shut in dismay. "Leena, I'm sure there are some toys here, just get here." After hearing Leena's okay Sara shut her phone.

"Sar, do you want to tell me something?" Grissom couldn't keep the wondering out of his voice. But before Sara could say anything a medic came in. "Miss Sidle, there is someone from child services here."

"Thank you, finally, I'm going to them okay Grissom? I'll stay with them. Can you finish here by yourself?"

"Sure, you stay with the children." Grissom snapped back into csi mode, but did make himself the promise to talk to Sara when he had time. Grissom found several more letters, some fingerprints, hairs and some blood drops. But there was no evidence for forced entry. After a while Grissom left the house and saw the three women hudled around the back of the ambulance. He walked up to them.

"Goodnight, ladies, how is everything here?" Grissom extended his had to the lady from child services. "Gil Grissom, csi, you have already met my colleague miss Sara Sidle and one of our friends Leena Jansen?" talking and shaking his hand, the lady introduced herself: "Nice to meet you mister Grissom, I'm Tammy Lowly, from child services. Yes I have already talked to miss Sidle and miss Jansen."

"Okay, how are the children?" the question was directed to all three women, but Tammy and Leena started to answer. Leena apologised and let Tammy report to Grissom: "The children are not in shock, but they will have to go to the hospital, for a good night sleep. There are no injuries."

"Did they tell anything?" this time Grissom directed the question specifically to Leena.

"No not much. Except that they had a great time with their American uncle. Klara, here, 5 years old said that. But Tom corrected her saying that they were American now so uncle Daan would no longer be the 'american' uncle. I don't think they saw much of the murder. Sara said neither of the children called the police, and that they were taken out via the kitchen. Furthermore the children didn't see anything. I'm having a hard time establishing what the children know and understand at this time. They are mostly overwhelmed and tired right now."

"Was Sara able to collect evidence?"

"Yes and the children have agreed to going to the hospital to sleep, although they don't really see why they need it. They keep repeating they are not sick." Leena was explaining to Grissom, Sara and Tammy, when suddenly the older boy seemingly had put two and two together and pulled Leena on her sleeve and started asking questions. Leena didn't look at any of the other adults present, but sat down in front of Tom. Grissom, Sara and Tammy looked at the exchange, not understanding anything of what was said. They could however see that the young boy was getting progressively more anxious and sad. Furthermore this seemed to rub of more and more on his younger sister. Leena realised this too as she started to talk to Klara too. After a while Leenda had gotten them quiet, their eyes were brimming with tears. Leena stood up, but kept her hand on the shoulders of the children. "We need tot take these children to a more quiet place. Not the hospital, that would be too much for them right now. Is there a relative living close by?"

"NO idea, no one came forward claiming to be related to these children." Sara filled in.

"Child services wouldn't do, we have not enough space, besides there are already too much children there, it was a busy night."

"We need to be able to ask the children questions." Grissom brought in.

"Why don't we take them with us to csi hq?" Sara suggested: "It is pretty quiet there, they could sleep a bit. It is less intimidating then the police station. I think."

"Yes, less uniformed people." Leena backed Sara.

"Well, I guess that will do for the time being. Tammy do you mind Leena staying with the children?"

"No not at all. I just got a call that I was needed at an orphanage, also a death. Besides miss Jansen has the same credentials as I and she can communicate with the children. I already knew her, I've been at a talk she gave here a couple of years ago. She is one of the best in our field. But you better straighten it with the DA. I'll come by in the morning for the appropriate paperwork." Tammy waved goodbye and went to her car.

"Okay, Leena, do you want to drive one car with the children?" Grissom wanted to hand her the keys to the Denali, but Leena merely looked at his outstretched hand.

"Grissom, didn't you wonder why I asked Leena to call a cab?" Sara asked.

"Well I figured it was because she didn't know the way, but she can follow us."

"Well you figured wrong. I asked Leena to call a cab because she doesn't drive. She doesn't have a drivers license." Sara clarified when she saw Grissom's blank face.

"I think we are going to need a couple of children seats." Leena put in while she lifted the children from the back of the ambulance. "Can you take care of that and some jackets, while I explain where we are going. Oh and was there a book case with children's books? I think it would be good to take some with us."

"I'm going to need some help with the books." Sara commented, but after some sorting out, they were ready to go to the csi hq, where they would be met with a very peculiar, stressing and disturbing sight.


	6. a flood of cats, cars, computers and

A flood of cats, cars, computers and children

Grissom saw a rather distressed looking Judy sitting at the csi hq reception when he led Sara, Leena and the children inside the building. He had barely rounded a corner when he was attacked by an animal, at the same time he heard a cacophony of sound coming from the labs. He looked down at his leg to see what kind of animal had attacked him and spotted a small kitten making his way up his body. With his hands full Grissom couldn't do much, but Sara had placed her things on the floor and tried to grab the kitten. While she was trying to grab the kitten, Hodges rounded the corner, muttering to himself, when he saw Sara, Grissom and the kitten he walked to them. "There is the pain in the ass, Sara I'll get him." But Sara had already caught the kitten and handed it over to Hodges. Grissom in the meantime was grateful that Sara had managed to get the kitten before Hodges could get in his personal space. As far as Grissom was concerned only Sara was allowed in his personal space, and sometimes, by great exception, Catherine, but se usually forced it. Grissom was recovered from the shock of being attacked and directed his question to Hodges: "Why was this kitten loose?"

"Well I had to process it and it got away."

"Why did you have to process a cat? Whose case does this cat belong to?"

"Catherine, but there were so many that she asked me to help, since I didn't have anything to do yet." Grissom nodded and resumed his way to the break room. He could hear a lot more cats meowing and hissing. When he looked through the glass windows of the break room he abruptly stopped, Sara almost collided with him, but had seen his abrupt stop in time. "What is going on here?" muttered Grissom under his breath, Sara heard. "Apparently Catherine brought the cats from her case here." She responded as she stepped into the break room which was filled with pet carriers full of cats. Right at that moment Catherine walked in carrying a pet carrier. "I'm sorry Grissom."

"What is going on Catherine, why are there cats here?" Grissom asked still looking around in the break room.

"Well the victim owned 70 cats and the SPCA had no room for them. They had two hoarders already. So we took them hee for evidence gathering and we return them to the shelter when we are done. I have help from two SPCA inspectors, but this is going to take a while." Just as Catherine had finished they heard a crash coming from the hallway, followed by a curse. Everybody whirled around and looked for the source of the sound. What they saw didn't make Grissom happy, it made him wish for the slow week they had left behind yesterday. Nick and Archie were coming in with several computers, one of tem had toppled over causing the crash. They heard Archie direct someone and saw two more people bring in a computer. Grissom, still holding his kit and several evidence bags, walked over to Nick to inquire about the computers.

"We have to find the source of the virus. We managed to track it to a room in the university building, but not a specific computer. It can be in any of the thirty computers in that room. So we brought the here. The university had back up computers to get the room up and running, they needed it for a specific seminar, so we had to bring the computers here." More people carrying computers had com in and placed the computers on the floor.

Right at that moment Grissom felt his cell phone go off, he was glad of the silence alarm, because he was sure he'd had missed the call due to the amount of sound in the hallway. Quickly he opened his cell phone.

"Grissom" Grissom started to walk to his office other then the bugs from the previous night he was sure that it would be quiet.

"Grissom, listen my battery is almost dead so I'm going to be short. Warrick is taking several children from the orphanage to the lab. I just wanted to give you the heads up, okay?"

"Wh… wait…what? What orphanage? Brass? Brass!" It was no good, the connection was already broken. Confused Grissom stared at his cell phone, hoping it could answer his questions, but it remained silent. The sounds surrounding Grissom were keeping him from hearing his own thoughts.

Quickly Grissom walked to his office and closed the door trying to block out the sounds. His office was his sanctuary, which was usually quiet, occasionally Grissom would be listening to an opera or another piece of music. Now however Grissom found murmurings in his office, curious as to who was in his office Grissom turned around. Grissom saw Leena and the seven year old looking at his tarantula. Sara was seated in his chair, she was resting her arms and head on his desk, she looked up and saw Grissom standing at the door, still holding his cell phone, kit and several evidence bags. Before Grissom could say anything Sara whispered: "Shh, the girl is asleep, she needs her rest." At Sara whispers Leena looked up.

"Why are they here, Sara?" Grissom walked to Sara.

"Because the girl was half asleep and Leena said she would need to sleep. Your office is the first place I could think of after our cat-infested break room." Sara explained, still making no indication as to rising from his chair. Grissom considered her words, while observing her. Sara looked tired, which was a bit strange, she was always energetic, except for the odd day that she was called in on her free day.

"I'll log in your evidence, maybe you could talk to Tom about your tarantula. He is very interested in it."

"Do you know anything about a case involving an orphanage?" Grissom asked looking at Tom who was still watching his tarantula.

"Didn't the lady from child services say anything about an orphanage?"

"Oh yes, she did, but was it a crime scene?"

"She didn't specify, why?" Sara seemed to be a bit more energized.

"Brass just called saying Warrick was coming with a couple of children from an orphanage. I have no idea where to put them. I can't put them in the break room and the waiting area. And my office can't hold them."

"Why don't you call Catherine and Nick here? We'll figure something out."

"Can you log my evidence? Wait we can't meet here, what about Leena and these children?"

"They don't understand English." Sara indicated the children.

"And I won't be in your way. I'll just sit on the couch next to Klara and talk to Tom about bugs. He seems interested." Leena interrupted.

Ten minutes later nightshift, with the exception of Warrick and Greg, was gathered in Grissom's office. "Okay, listen, Warrick is coming in with several children from an orphanage. I need at least the waiting area cleared of computers and cats. Could you place them in the garage please?" The ten minutes had served Grissom into thinking the whole situation through. He had thought this was a good idea.

"Uhm…That could be a problem, Grissom."

"Why Nick?"

"Have you been in the garage?"

"No, what is wrong with the garage?"

"It is full of cars."

"Oh the accident on Boulder. Damn I forgot about that. How many cars?"

"Greg said that it was a pile up of twenty cars, however it started with a crash of five. There are twenty cars in the impound. But Greg is going to need the garage for the coming two weeks."

"Okay, well I need the waiting area cleared so far that we can accommodate the children with a seat. Catherine, please take the cat carriers out and place them in a lay out room. And Nick do the same with the computers. Catherine how far are you with the cats?"

"With a little overtime they are going to be processed this shift. By midday the SPCA is going to take them to the asylum."

"Good. That means by tomorrow night this lab is cat free. That leaves the computers, Nick?"

"Archie and I are going to need some more time. The virus was well hidden, from the other computers we could see that it came from one of these, but which? It is like trying to find a needle in a haystack."

"Okay, work as fast as you can, but be thorough."

"Always."

"Okay, let's get to work."

"One question Griss. Who are these children?"

"They're from Sara and my case. They don't speak English, just Dutch, which is why Leena is here. And Tammy from child services didn't have a place to place tem, which is why I think Warrick is bringing the children here. It seems like we are not the only ones swamped tonight." To the others it was clear that Grissom had dismissed them. All piled out of the room, to clear the waiting area.

Grissom sat down at his desk relieved to find some rest. The whispers coming from his couch were already becoming normal, he didn't seem to remember the additional people in his office. Sighing Grissom started with some paperwork, which he needed to check, after that he was going to find Sara to see if he could help her, but most likely they would have to wait for Doc. Robbins to perform the autopsy on the bodies.

The first to interrupt Grissom was Warrick. Grissom was surprised to see that he had managed to work an hour without interruptions, this was a rarity. "Hey Griss." Warrick greeted Grissom, who looked up to see the tall csi standing in his doorway. Grissom beckoned Warrick to stay, he got up and after glancing over to his couch walked to the hallway and closed his door.

"Hey Rick, how are the children?"

"Okay, they are in the waiting area, what's up with all the cats?"

"Catherine's case. How is your case?"

"Someone killed the head of an orphanage plus two night personnel. They couldn't find people to take care of these children. No wait, I'm sorry, these children are witnesses and the lady from child services made sure there were people to take care of the other children."

"Why are these children not in the police station?"

"They have possible trace evidence on them and the police station has a roach infestation."

"A roach infestation? Bras didn't tell."

"He only found out before he called you, his battery is dead. He muttered something about the criminals trying to wear him down. He said: 'Rick, I swear these criminals have no consideration for an old detective like me.'" Grissom smirked, he could hear Brass say it, with his own dry sarcasm.

"Okay, who from child services did you get?"

"A Tammy Lowry, she said she needed to fill out paperwork at the csi lab. She is with the children. Actually she asked if I could bring Leena. Do you know why?" Grissom filled Warrick in with his previous encounter with Tammy and Leena's cooperation. While he talked to Warrick Grissom spotted Sara in one of the labs. "Sara, could you come with me?

"Sure what do you need?"

"I'll tell you." The three returned to Grissom's office. Softly Grissom told Leena that Tammy wanted to talk to her and asked Sara to watch over the two children. Leena explained the situation to Tom who didn't mind anything, he was reading a book.

Once again Warrick and Grissom started to walk to the waiting room, this time with Leena in tow. However they were interrupted again by a loud breaking sound and a swear. The three turned towards the sound, the swearing didn't stop. Quickly Grissom walked to the garage. He found Greg under a wreck. "Greg, stop swearing, calm down." Upon hearing Grissom Greg tuned and stopped swearing. Greg looked like a mess he had smudges everywhere, some cutes and scrapes and he was standing in a pool of liquid. "Greg, what happened?" Grissom was trying to remain cal, but this day was testing his patience.

"Well I was trying to disassemble this carwreck when something snapped. Next I know the fuel tank ripped and the fuel poured out. This car is a mess, I really don't understand what happened and I have five more wrecks. This was a huge pile up. Could Ii ask Sara to take a look at these, she might be able to help me more, besides I know Nick is up to his elbows in computers and Warrick has let me to go to on orphanage." Greg was rambling and kept hitting the roof of the car with the tool he was holding.

"Stop knocking on the roof. I'll ask Sara to take a look at this. Greg take your time, take breaks and first clear this up before someone accidentally ignites it. With the way this day is going it wouldn't surprise me. Just clean it up." Grissom retorted when he saw Greg getting ready to reply.

Sighing Grissom returned to his office.

Grissom opened his door and saw the boy looking at his tarantula and other insects. The little girl was asleep with her head in Sara's lap, who was stroking her hear. Grissom felt jealous of the little girl, right now he wanted to lay with his head in Sara's lap, being soothed by Sara. Grissom looked at Sara who was watching the boy like a hawk, making sure he didn't attempt to open the terrarium of the tarantula. When she was satisfied it wouldn't happen she looked at Grissom. "Sara I need you to help Greg with a car, before anything get blown up. The fuel tank ripped and flooded the garage. He says he doesn't get the car. Please take a look at it, work with him, help him, make sure there is no immediate danger before you come back here. If anyone asks I'm here with the two children, praying for this shift to be over or preferably a night mare. Please?"

"Sure." Slowly Sara lowered the girl on the couch without waking her. She went to stand in front of Grissom. "I'll help Greg. Please make sure he doesn't open the terrarium."

"He really likes the tarantula, doesn't he?" Grissom asked a little surprised.

"Yes, well he is a boy. Listen this shift will end, I'll see you." Sara softly stroked Grissom's cheek, he closed his eyes and felt a bit of tension leave his body. Then Sara walked out of the office.

Grissom turned his attention to the boy who was once again watching his tarantula. He had his nose pressed against the glass. "Do you like him?" Grissom asked forgetting that Tom didn't speak English. To his surprise Tom did answer, very thoughtfully he said: "Yes."

"I'll get him out, but don't tell anyone else okay?" Tom looked at Grissom confused, obviously he didn't understand what Grissom had told him. Grissom cleared his desk and gently took the spider out of his cage. Tom watched Grissom intently and stood beside him as he let the tarantula walk on his desk. Grissom saw Tom's hand reach for the spider, gently Grissom enclosed the boys hand with his own and directed a finger to the spiders back. Guided by Grissom Tom stroked the tarantula, who simply sat. Tom turned to Grissom and smiled obviously excited. Grissom couldn't help to smile back. Leaving his tarantula on his desk Grissom sat on his chair, Tom climbed in his lap. Sitting in his office with this boy in his lap and the small girl sleeping nearby, watching his tarantula made Grissom feel immensely contend. It started to make him wonder once more how it would feel to hold a child of his own and Sara. Lately he had considered the option more often and more and more this was starting to turn out to be fantasy he would want o see come true. He would have to talk to Sara about this.

Suddenly the boy in his lap turned and faced Grissom, with a heavy accent of someone who has not often spoke English he said, while pointing to himself: "My name is Tom." Grissom replied: "My name is Gil." Tom pointed to Grissom and said: "Gil."

"That is right." Tom hopped off his lap and waled to a bag standing next to the couch, he got a book out and sat on the ground, expectantly he looked up to Grissom, he patted the ground and said: "Here?"

"Okay, I'll come." Quickly Grissom put his pet back in it's habitat and sat next to the boy on the ground. Tom opened a picture book and pointed to a picture, looking up to Grissom said: "What that?" Grissom looked at the picture.

"That is a house."

"House."

"That is right." Tom pointed to another picture: "What that?" and so Grissom and Tom went on and on. Two heads bowed over a book, completely lost to the rest of the cat, computer, car and child overrun lab, both temporarily forgetting that an other world existed outside of the book.


	7. daddy material

Daddy material

After working with Greg on the cars for over three hours, Sara was satisfied that Greg could take care of the rest. "Sara, thank you."

"Anytime, Greg, call me when you need something okay?" Sara whipped her hands on a paper towel and left in search of a shower. After a quick shower Sara was reunited with Leena and Tammy, who had just left the waiting area to see Grissom. "Hey, how are you?" Sara greeted them.

"Exhausted. Tammy needs to sign some paperwork. Do you know where Grissom is?"

"I left him in his office three hours ago. I'm going there now."

"Wait, where can we get some drinks and something to eat? Just in case the children or Grissom needs something."

"Good idea, in the break room." The three women walked to the break room. It was still overrun with cat carriers and Catherine was seated amidst them. "Hey Catherine, how are the cats?"

"I have no idea. I just spent an hour in interrogation with the boys who murdered the bug guy from yesterday. Get this, they had heard that this guy had a fortune in his house. They rang and he let them in and led them to his bugs. For the victim they were his treasure, but the boys didn't buy it and became angry. They fought, smashing several habitats, the victim fell and smashed his head. The boys freaked and ran, one of them was stung by a bug, that's how we found them."

"Wow, shouldn't Grissom know this? It was his case."

"Yes, I got back five minutes ago and these," Catherine indicated the cat carriers "reminded me what I was doing before I got a call from Brass. The police station has a bit of a problem, have you heard?"

"No." Sara replied getting some drinks and fruit.

"They have a roach infestation. It isn't pretty, dirty bugs."

"Don't let Grissom hear you insult his friends."

"Right, how far is the coffee?"

"Almost done and I have a treat: it's from Greg's private stash. A thank you for me for helping him. Leena, Tammy what do you want?"

"Coffee. I need to stay awake for a couple of hours." Tammy replied.

"Tea, if you have some? I believe Warrick has made some, when he asked me what I wanted earlier." Leena took two cups from Sara.

"Okay, we are al set, let's find Grissom."

"When you see him will you tell him about the case? I'll still be here." Catherine asked Sara, accepting a mug of coffee. Sniffing the coffee made Catherine smile: "Oh, this smell so good. Thanks Sara."

"Sure, good luck with the cats."

The door to Grissom's office was closed when the three women arrived. Sara opened it and was surprised by the scene she found. Grissom was seated in his chair with Tom on his lap, they were immersed in a book that lay on Grissom's desk. Either Grissom or the boy would point to something and Grissom would say what it was after which Tom repeated it. Klara was also leaving through a book.

"Wow, I would say that dr. Grissom is great daddy material, Sara." Leena said, this alerted Grissom to the visitors. Sara crossed the office and handed Grissom a cup of coffee and said: "I would agree, Leena." Then Sara bent and kissed Grissom on the head. "Hey, here is coffee, Tammy and Leena need to take care of paperwork and Catherine solved the case of the bug guy. The children were well behaved?"

"Yes absolutely. Tom is very inquisitive and a great student. He loves the tarantula and knew the correct word, English word for insects." Grissom replied, smiling at Sara. He had enjoyed spending time with Tom. "Thanks, for the coffee, Greg's batch?"

"Yes, a gift for helping him. By the way I told him to leave the cars for now. Next shift he and I are going to take a look at the rest of the cars. Exhaustion and disassembling cars is not a good combination."

Tammy was still standing in the doorway, while Leena was talking to Klara. "Grissom what did you say about Tom talking English?"

"Oh, he introduced himself and knew a couple of words, plus he didn't call the insects bugs, but insects."

"I'm not surprised, in Dutch the word for insects or bugs is 'insekt'. I'm also not really surprised that Tom knew some basics of the English language. They have been living here for a month now and had an American uncle, it is inevitable that he and his sister would know some basics."

"Then why didn't they respond to anything on the crime scene?" Sara asked.

"Probably because they were in shock, tired or couldn't understand what was being said." Leena explained.

"Dr. Grissom, could you give me the paperwork I need to sign? There are still children waiting for me." Tammy caught to the chase.

Grissom put Tom on the ground, who walked to Leena and Klara to eat and drink something, and got the paperwork that needed to be signed. He, Tammy an Leena got it sorted while Sara looked after the kids. After the paperwork was done Tammy asked a question no one had considered yet: "where are we going to put the children for the short term?"

"I hadn't thought of that yet." Grissom sighed.

"Couldn't we take the children to your place Grissom? They would be with me and you and Sara, whom they know. I will get in touch with the Dutch Embassy to sort everything out, but for now I think it would be best to keep them with people the know and speak the language."

Grissom could see Leena's logic, but he was no big fan of taking work home and by doing this they could become attached to the children. Leena sensed his hesitation: "I really think it is the best solution, maybe the only one, we have. Besides you are most probably not going to see too much of them, since you sleep during the day." Sara and Grissom looked at each other, Sara knew Grissom didn't like it, but like Grissom also knew there was no other solution. Sara nodded and Grissom said: "Okay, we'll take them hom."

"Great, well that is all for me. I'm going to see the other children." Tammy walked out of the office to go and see Warrick and the orphanage children.

"Leena, will you stay with Klara and Tom, while I go and make a round around the labs? When I'm done we'll go home."

"Sure, Grissom." Leena tuned to the two children and gave them something to eat.

"Sara, let's go outside to drink the coffee, I need some fresh air."

"Sure."

Grissom and Sara sat down on the benches outside the lab and drank their coffee. "That car Greg had to disassemble rally was a mess. It shouldn't have been allowed on the road."

"Does he have an idea of what happened?"

"You should ask him, but yes I think he does."

"Well, I'll go and ask him while I do my round. So how's our case going?"

"All the blood samples are from the vics so far. Mia wasn't completely ready, she gave me the results so far in passing. The letters are in Dutch, Leena will take a look at them but hasn't had the time. Like you said on the crime scene: the door wasn't forced, so the vics knew their attacker. Nothing seems to be missing, nothing was smashed. It all seems to indicate that the attacker meant to only kill these people. But who this attacker is? Nothing yet, but Yackie hadn't gotten to our fingerprints yet, she was doing paw prints and Catherine's fingerprints."

"Paw prints?"

"I have no idea, you ask her on your round. Hodges is getting to our trace, but he also was busy with the cats, still is, I think."

"So we don't know that much."

"Nope, it's waiting time. When you do the rounds I'll ask Leena to translate the letters, if she's still awake." Sara tossed her Styrofoam cup in the bin.

"No, let's ask her after she has slept some."

"Good idea. Why don't you go do your rounds and come and pick us up to go home?"

"Sounds like a good idea, but one more thing." Grissom looked at Sara, who questioningly looked back. "What is it Grissom?"

"Why did you say to Leena that we didn't have toys yet?"

"Because we don't have toys…yet." Sara looked at her hands, she had known Grissom would remember her slip of the tong.

"Are you pregnant?"

"No, it was just a slip of the tong."

"Oh." Grissom looked in his empty cup, "Would you like children?"

"I don't know." Sara answered, hesitantly: "I know we haven't really discussed it, but…" Sara didn't know how to finish the sentence. It honestly was a slip of the tong, she hadn't done it on purpose, but it had haunted her a little. Did this mean she wanted children or was it just her biological clock talking? Sara didn't know what to say and apparently neither did Grissom, because for a long time they sat in silence. Then Grissom started to talk thoughtfully: "I wasn't sure whether or no I wanted children. Before we started dating, I thought that I wouldn't have children, because I couldn't find the woman with whom I would want them. But now, the possibility has reopened. Before today I had thought about it occasionally, but never thoroughly. But today…" Sara watched Grissom talk, he wasn't looking at her, he was staring at the table deep in thought. "When Tom started to talk and trust me, I felt proud every time he said a word correctly. And I started to think what it would feel like if the child sitting in my lap was…" Grissom didn't seem to be able to finish the sentence, placing her hand on his knee, Sara finished it for him: "…was yours. I know, I felt the same when Klara fell asleep in my lap. I was pleased she fell asleep, she needed her rest and I would protect her." Sara stopped talking, Grissom placed his hand over hers.

"Sara I want a child with you, I want to have a family with you." Sara looked into Grissom's clear blue eyes.

"Do you think we could raise a child in our world?"

"Yes, I think we can, Sara."

"Okay, then I also want a child with you." Sara saw the smile building on Grissom's face. She smiled and fell in his embrace. After a couple of seconds they disentangled themselves, remembering wher they were.

"I'm going to do a round in the labs. I'll pick you, Leena, Tom and Klara up afterwards, okay?"

"Yes, oh and Griss, I agree with Leena."

"On what?"

"You're great daddy material."

"And you miss Sidle are going to be the best mother in the world."

"I don't know about that."

"But I do." Replied Grissom with a glint in his eye. They were going to be a family and Grissom couldn't be happier about it.


	8. doing the rounds

Doing the rounds

After seeing Sara safely back to his office, Grissom took off in search for Warrick, Nick, Catherine and Greg, not necessarily in that order. He first went to the break room, he found Catherine still surrounded by cat carriers. "Hey, Catherine, the case of the insect enthusiast is solved I hear."

"Yes, we found the suspects with odd bite and sting marks in a hospital. They confessed"

Catherine quickly told Grissom the whole story. "Okay, great, so how are the cats?"

"Ugh…That was a nasty crime scene. The woman was a cat hoarder. She collected cats, but didn't take care of them. ASPCA hadn't heard from her yet. But this pace was so filthy, we had to wear protective gear. Cat fecies, cat hairs everywhere, plus catfood which was all rotting. I'm going to throw those clothes in the garbage, nothing will get that smell out. Anyway David couldn't find anything on the site, except that she was dead for about a day. He said it could be a lot of things, bad food, something she inhaled, but there were no visual injuries. Collecting evidence was difficult. I didn't know where to look, and the place was thrashed by the cats. Anything that was in the house was also on the cats. We also found tend dead cats by the way. Anyway first we had to get the cats out, SPCA could spare three additional helpers. Did you know they had found two more hoarders in the late afternoon? So they had some personnel on those scenes. We had caught almost all cats after four hours of work. It was dark and the cats had all kinds of hiding places. After another two hours SPCA was confident we had all the cats. We counted 76. Then came the call that the shelter couldn't take the cats, so after some debate I said we could take the casts here. It would take some time to process the cats here, instead of at the scene. But I still had to process the scene. I sealed the house for now. It is nowhere near cleared. I did ask Hodges to bring ht nose, I needed to find whether or not there were foreign substances in the air. After that we went here, we came thirty minutes before you."

"So did you find anything?"

"What?! 76 cats, 10 dead cats and a body isn't enough?" Catherine looked enraged, Grissom merely raised his eyebrow and continued to look at Catherine, imploring her to continue.

"Fine, okay. There was a lot of debris on the cats we processed. But there is no strange or more importantly: out of place substance. The compounds in the air had not yet reached the lethal levels, but it couldn't have been healthy to live in that house. Doc. Robbins is going to do the autopsy as soon as possible. But the cats had a plethora of illnesses, all related to bad living environments. I noticed that nothing in the house was clean, the food for the cats was past its expiration date and there was no indication that she had fresh food for herself. The fridge was empty save a rotting tomato. I'm going to check the cupboards when I go back to the house."

"When is that?"

"I need to finish processing the last cats, than see how far doc. Robbins is. Agter that I'm going to take a shower, go home,, take another shower, eat something and get some sleep. SO next shift I'm going back to the house. I'm beat."

"Okay, well, I'm going to see the rest of the team and then go home. See you next shift, call if you need anything, okay?"

"I always do." With a hint of a smile on her face Catherine turned to the job at hand.

After talking to Catherine Grissom walked through the labs, finally locating Nick in one of the larger lay out rooms. "Hey Nick, how is everything?"

"Hey Griss, everything is okay, I guess. I mean I'm actually working. But this case is going to take a while. Archie is trying to locate the virus on one of the computers. I'm focussing on the B&E."

"Are they connected?"

"There is no indication for a connection. I think these two cases are not related."

"Why?"

"There is no evidence to support that notion. Besides the people who put the virus on the computer network had infiltrated to the computers that turn on the alarms, closes the doors and windows. With a simple command they could have entered the university buildings, without breaking any windows. And in this case there was forced entry, several broken windows. Several trophies were missing, according to the university."

"Any leads?"

"I found several fingerprints, some blood drops and someone lost his tool."

"Any matches with AFIS?"

"I have no idea. Jackie has not gotten to my fingerprints yet. I'm going to see her in a minute. Then I'm going to check up op Archie. He told me it could be awhile before he finds anything, but maybe he got lucky."

"Okay, but make sure you get home and get some rest. The evidence isn't going anywhere. It'll be here tomorrow."

"I know Grissom, after I have seen Archie I'm going home."

"Okay, I'll see you next shift."

"Sure, I'm glad the very slow and boring week is over, but this case is a lot of work."

"I know, today was hectic. I have it on good authority that we are not the only institution that got swamped tonight."

"Nope, a bit of a nasty coincidence."

"Oh well, we survived." Grissom smiled and heard Nick's laugh bouncing of the walls of the layout room, when he turned to find Warrick.

Grissom found Warrick in the waiting area with ten children, talking to one of the boys. Someone had provided the children with a few books, paper and pencils. Grissom motioned to Warrick to come and speak with him in the corner, where they could watch the children, but they couldn't hear Grissom and Warrick talk.

"Hey Griss." Warrick sighed when he came to stand across from Grissom. He sounded tired.

"Hey wWarrick, how is your case going?"

"It is going from bad to worse."

"How come?"

"Well I don't have all the evidence yet, but I think that the children killed the headmistress. And I think I cant blame tem. The place was filthy and falling apart, plus several children have nasty bruises."

"You think they were beaten?" Grissom lowered his voice just like Warrick had done. Hitting and abusing children didn't sit well in any of the csi's.

"Tammy told me that child services were not at all happy about this orphanage, but there wasn't a lot they could do. They came as often and unexpected as they could, but never found a real good reason to shut them down. The people in the orphanage always did just enough, so that child services couldn't do anything. We are going to have to investigate this case further, into the orphanage, Grissom. These children deserve some security." Grissom saw that Warrick was getting really angry. "Warrick, calm down. You wont be able to help these children when you get angry. If you really want to help get Tammy from child services to build a case with you. Get a reason to investigate. Buts stay calm."

"Grissom these children deserve protection and security. God knows what they already saw."

"I know Warrick, but we have to stay objective only then can we get good results to show the DA and the judge. And Warrrick it is still your job to find out how this crime happened. If one of the children did this, you'll have to report it too. Okay?" Grissom looked at Warrick.

"Yes I know."

"Can you do this case?"

"Yeah, I'm finishing this."

"Good. Let the evidence speak, Warrick. Where are these children going to stay?"

"At the police station. They have some empty cells. They'll spend the day there and a doctor is going to check them out first."

"In a police cell? Do you think that is wise?"

"There is nowhere else they can stay. A police cell is already an improvement from the orphanage."

"Okay, make sure you also get some rest."

"Of course, after I made sure the children are safe, I'm going home." Warrick assured Grissom.

Sara had returned to Grissom's office and along with Leena was doing several games with the children in which they learned the basics of the English language. Tom and Klara had been sleeping on and off during the shift.

After playing for an hour Toma and Klara were colouring in the colouring books they had brought from their homes.

"Sara, I want to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

"As you know I'm going to sing in a choir. That choir is going to sing at the annual LVPD ball. They asked me if I would like to sing a couple of songs. I was wondering if you would like to sing a duet with me?"

"Oh…ehm… I don't know." Sara was not someone who liked to do things on stage in front of a lot of people. Especially not if she knew these people, and would have to work with them.

"Well, think about it. Please. I know you have a good voice." Nick had told Sara that before, but Leena had already heard Sara sing.

"I'll think about it, okay?"

"Thank you. The LVPD ball is in two weeks I think."

"No three weeks."

"Well, anyway we are invited to stay and eat with the police force."

"Grissom and I are already going since we are a part of the LVPD force. He told me two days ago, when we got the invitations." Sara told Leena.

"Of course. Think about it. If you don't want to tell me, it is okay either way."

"Sure. Leena will you translate the letters?"

"Yes, no problem, but please arrange it with the DA and the judges."

"Yes. I already called them and because you are Dutch and know the English language and know how to deal with children, it is fine with them."

"Okay, I'll deal with the letters as soon as possible."

"Grissom is going to pick us up when he is done with his round. Then we will go home, get something to eat and get some sleep. Leave the letters until you are rested."

"Could I ask a friend of mine over at your place? I was going to meet her today, but I don't want to leave the children for such a long period alone. Especially with you two sleeping."

"I'm fine with it. I'll tell Gil."

Grissom, still blissfully unaware of the planned intrusion of their privacy, was trying to locate the last member of his team. When he was sure Greg was in non of the labs, he went to look for Greg in the garage. Grissom hadn't looked there yet because Sara had old him that she had said to Greg to leave the cars for the remainder of shift. But sure enough Greg was in the garage. "Greg? Didn't Sara tell you to leave the cars for the next shift?"

"Yes, but I thought I would just take one last look."

"Greg, Sara didn't say it without a good reason."

"I know: exhaustion and car disassembly is not a good combination."

"And she is right. So step away from the car and tell me what is happening with your case." Reluctantly Greg walked to Grissom whipping his blackened hands on a paper towel.

"Okay, well it is a pile up of 22 cars. Miraculously no deaths, but a lot of injured people. I think it al started with 5 cars. This was the first." Greg indicated the car in the garage: "The first I checked. Sara agreed with me that this car was wrong. She muttered that a car in this state was not allowed on the road. According to her this was a riding accident waiting to happen."

"She told me." Grissom glanced at the car, it looked old, but the mechanics were hidden so he couldn't see the state of the engine, brakes and all that stuff. But he trusted Sara on this issue, she knew a lot about cars, more than him anyway.

"Anyway it looks like the brakes didn't work and this car crashed into a stationary body, probably the car in front of it. Judging by the notes, pictures from the crime scene, I'd say that one of the cars accelerated and crashed into another, this car probably barrelled right into those cars."

"Why did you check this car first?"

"the fire department is still trying to dislodge the other cars. They came in half an hour ago. This accident crippled the traffic tremendously. Both ways were obstructed."

"Both ways on Boulder High?"

"Yes, somehow one car crossed the centre to the other side. I have no idea how or why yet. But this was a very freaky accident."

"Greg, good work. Go home and start fresh tomorrow night, okay?"

"Okay." Greg waited for Grissom to leave. Grissom waited for Greg.

"What?" Greg asked Grissom.

"I'm waiting for you to leave."

"I still have to clean here."

"Okay, I'm going to get Sara, Leena and the kids. You better be gone when we pass the garage. I mean it Greg, it was a tiring shift."

"Okay, I'm going home." Greg turned to get his stuff and Grissom left in search of Sara, Leena and the children.

When Grissom, Sara, Leena and the two children left ten minutes later, they were the last of the nightshift crew to leave and get some rest.


	9. heather and nightmares

Heather and nightmares

Two day later Sara and Grissom were asleep, while Tom, Klara and Leena were downstairs drawing pictures or reading books. Leena had told everybody that her friend would come by for lunch. The last two days had been a bit uneventful since everybody had forgotten that Saturdays and Sundays still constituted as weekend and as such two days off. The Grissoms and their guests had used those two days to go to know each other better and had visited a zoo and an amusement park. The two children had loved to take Bruno for walks. Although they were sad and cried easily, during the outings Sara, Grissom and Leena had seen the cheerfull character of Tom and Klara. The extra time was also spend at helping the children to come to terms with what had happened. Tom had asked Grissom if he could see his parents. After talking a lot Grissom had said it was okay. So tonight the children would join Sara and Grissom to the lab, where Leena would work on the translation of the letters.

Ding Dong… before the bell could make more noise Leena had opened the door: "Heather. Hey how are you?" Leena greeted her friend with a friendly hug. The dark haired woman returned her hug.

"I'm okay. A lot happened the last year."

"Come in. I'm sorry we have to meet here, but there was a bit of an emergency when I arrived here. I cant leave these two children alone for to long. And my friends work during the night so they need their rest."

"It's okay. Don't apologize." Heather had followed Leena into the living room and saw Tom and Klara who curiously looked at the new arrival. "These two are adorable, what happened?"

"Their parents were killed. They are Dutch." Tom walked towards Heather and said: "I am Tom." "Well, hello Tom. I'm Heather. Who is your sister?" Heather glanced at Klara, who didn't move from her seat, but after a few seconds said: "I am Klara."

"Hi Klara. What are you drawing?" Heather asked. Clearly not understanding the final part Klara looked up at Leena, who translated Heather's question. Klara once again turned to Heather and pointed to the animals in her drawing and then to the corresponding pictures, with their names in an open book. "They are beautiful." Heather got up from her crouched position next to Klara and sat down in one of the chairs.

"What do you want to drink? Tea?"

"Yes, please."

"I'll be right back." Leena went to the kitchen to start up the tea and came right back. Heather had looked around and commented: "Your friends have some very interesting decorations." Leena regarded the insect displays and responded: "Yeah, well, he has an insect related profession and he finds them extremely interesting. Sara had warned me about their decorations, she thought it would be fair, so I wouldn't freak out. Hang on. I'm going to get the sandwiches." Leena said something to Tom and Klara, which Heather didn't understand, but from Tom and Klara's reaction she could safely assume, that it had to do with food and cleaning up the art materials and books.

Tom and Klara were parked in front of the television with a Dutch DVD and a few sandwiches and a glass of milk. Heather and Leena sat at the dining table wit a good view over the children. Leena started the conversation: "So how is your business going?"

"Actually I stopped last year."

"Really why?"

"I wanted to get custody over my granddaughter. I needed to show a save environment. The dominion wouldn't inspire confidence."

"I can see that. Did you get custody?"

"No, but after and interference from a friend I get to spend time with her regularly."

"How is that working?"

"Quite good, but I am going to star the dominion again. I talked about it with my ex-husband. He said it was okay, as long as I can keep my personal and professional lives separated."

"What does your ex have to do with it?"

"He ahs custody over my granddaughter. I needed to be sure I could still visit her. But I'm going to need to work again, I am going to give therapy as well."

"That is wonderful. I am gl.." Leena was stopped in the middle of her sentence by a scream. Immediately checking the children told Leena and Heather that they were fine. The screaming continued, coming from the second landing.

Grissom woke to Sara's screams. Quickly rolling to face Sara, Grissom grabbed Sara's arms and pulled her to his body. Gently rocking her, stroking her hair and murmuring gentle words to her, Grissom managed to sooth Sara enough to stop the screaming, but the crying wasn't stopped. Still holding her, Grissom felt Sara waking up, she was still tense but a lot less than immediately after her first scream.

With tears in her eyes Sara looked up at Grissom. She saw his gentle caring face: "I was back in the dessert, every time I stumbled I fell over a dead body. Kay Shelton, Cammy, my mother, my father every time. And then I was drowning not in water but in blood, I couldn't get out. I tried every thing, but I couldn't… I couldn't." silently crying Sara buried her head in Grissom's chest.

"Its okay Sara." Grissom knew that the words didn't mean a lot to Sara. But just holding didn't feel to be enough, so Grissom murmured soothing words to Sara. Like he always did when nightmares would wake Sara. Every time he saw Sara thrashing around, trying to get out of the nightmare and every time he saw her cry, his heart died a little bit. Grissom knew that his presence didn't prevent the night mares. Sara had told him that the nightmares came as often as they did before the were tighter, but the night mares seemed less frightening, because he was there when she woke up.

"Sara! Are you al right?" Leena knocked on the door and called out. She had run upstairs after hearing Sara's screams.

"She is al right, Leena, just a bad dream." Grissom responded.

"Okay." Leena went back downstairs.

"Just a bad dream." Leena reported to Heather when she saw her inquisitive face.

"Sounded more like a terrifying dream."

"Agreed, but she has someone to look after her." Leena also told the children what Grissom had said: "_Are you done with your plates? Let's take them to the kitchen and wash them and after that you are going to get some more sleep okay?_"

After fifteen minutes the kitchen was spotless and they retuned to the living room. There they found Sara sitting on the sofa, reading a book and absentmindedly stroking Bruno's head. "Sara, shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I can't sleep anymore." Sara responded without looking up.

"Are you sure you are al right?"

"Yes, I'm just going to read some." Sara looked at Leena and saw the guest. "Oh hi, Miss Kessler, what are you doing here?"

"Heather is my friend, I invited her over for lunch, remember? How do you know Heather?"

"I once investigated a case related to miss Kessler."

"Oh, right."

"I'm sorry for intruding miss Sidle."

"You're not, Leena had told me a friend of hers was stopping by. It's okay. I'm sure you've been here before."

"No, I have never been here before. Why would I have been?" But before Sara could answer, Grissom called out: "Sara? Where are you? Please come back to bed." Grissom opened the door to the living room and saw Sara. Without paying attention to the rest of his surroundings he walked to Sara. "Honey, you've got to rest. It's going to be a long night and you only slept two hours."

"Griss, we've got guests." Sara said.

"Leeena has heard worse and the children don't understand us. Please come and read upstairs, it'll make me feel better."

"No other guests."

"What other guests?" Grissom turned around, confused, and found himself facing heather: "Oh…"

"Good day Grissom. I should have known with the bugs." Heather greeted her friend.

"Heather, what are you doing here?"

"Heather Kessler is here on my invitation. She is the friend I told Sara I had invited."

"Okay." Grissom felt a bit uncomfortable, he was still a bit shaken because of Sara's recent night mare and he was still tired.

Leena broke the tension by addressing Sara: "Do you often have nightmares?"

"Every now and then. It's nothing to worry about." Sara said, not knowing that Grissom was worried about it, every time she had a nightmare.

"Why don't you just get back to sleep?"

"After a nightmare I can't sleep anymore. So I read, it relaxes me." Grissom replaced the word can't with the word won't in his head, knowing full well that Sara was in fact afraid to fall asleep again to relive those horrific moments again. He had had this discussion with Sara before, then she had admitted her fear of sleeping after a nightmare. Grissom knew there was no chance in hell that Sara would admit that in front of Heather. She might have done if Heather wasn't present, but he would never be sure. Grissom glanced at Heather and saw that she was watching the exchange. Grissom could see in Sara's eyes that she was well aware of the fact that she was being scrutinized by Heather and she didn't like it.

Apparently Leena felt that Sara wasn't going to elaborate any further so she said: "Okay, shall I make you some tea?"

"yes, please."

"Grissom, you want some?" Grissom nodded.

"Okay, I'll be right back." After Leena left, Klara climbed into Sara's lap and tom sat down on the sofa, playing with Bruno and his squeaky toy. Sara hugged Klara and looked at the drawing Klara had made. Tenderly Grissom looked at the scene before him. He loved to see Sara with Klara, but he also knew that Sara and he were getting attached to the children and the children were getting attached to them. They were all going to get hurt.

"You love her." Heather didn't even lower her voice. Grissom startled, he had forgotten about the other woman in the room.

"Yes." The simple truth.

"She loves you."

"Yeah."

"Does she often have nightmares about the dessert?"

"How did you know?"

"I still have al lot of contacts in the police force."

"Rig ht." Grissom didn't answer her question, Sara did: "Not that much anymore."

Heather could read people and she saw that Sara Sidle was a closed person, there was something about her, but no one could force that secret out, she would tell only from free will, when she deemed it okay. In some ways Sara Sidle was more difficult to read then Dr. Gilbert Grissom, on other things she was an open book. But one thing heather knew for sure, this was the woman that had occupied Grissom's heart, even at the first time Heather met Grissom. It seemed like this woman knew Grissom, the way he was afraid to be known. One thing was crystal clear: Sara didn't mind her here, but she wasn't going to tell her anymore then she already had, at least not about the nightmares. Heather snapped out of her reverie when Leena walked in with the tea. "So tell me, how come you know each other."

That was the signal for a bit of lighter topic and for an hour the adults talked about how they met, what they had done since the last time they had seen each other.

After that heather went home and the Grissom household went to bed to get some hours of sleep.


	10. The letters

**Author note: Okay it took me some time to get the next chapters, I probably should explain why: I started writing this story when I was on holiday last summer, I started writing with pen and paper and I really want to continue that, so I first write the story on paper and then type it out. I can type pretty quick, but writing takes a bit longer. Anyway here's the next chapter, I hope you like it. Oh and one more thing, all opinions in the story are fictional.**

The letters

"Okay, we have quite a lot of cases. Greg is going to stay here to process the cars from the car crash. The rest of you, please keep taps on the cases from Friday. Nick you have a shooting in a restaurant, Warrick go with him. After that there is another shooting at the edge of the dessert. Catherine and Sara, sorry decomp, three bodies were discovered in the basement of an abandoned house. After that pleas join me, I've got an insect-infested body in a parc in Summerlin." Grissom gave the assignment slips to Nick, Warrick, Sara and Catherin. "leena, Klara and Tom are going to be here tonight. Leena is working on our case from last shift. Keep a look out for Klara and Tom."

"Couldn't find a sitter, Griss?"

"No idea where to look, besides Klara and Tom don't understand English well enough to leave them with a solely English speaking sitter. Okay, everybody let's go."

For several hours the lab bustled with activity. Greg was tinkering away with the cars, Hodges was working the trace evidence on the case of the cats, interrupted by the occasional scratching of the scars resulting from the battle with the cats. Jacky was trying to get through the mountains of fingerprints and paw prints in record time. And so everybody was working in their own labs, which were stuffed with little trinkets and photographs to personalize them. In the most stuffed office of them all, Leena was translating the letters, for as long as the rightful owner of said office was in the field. Leena also had to look after Klara and Toma and that interfered with her job sometimes. Tom and Klara would see their parents at the end of shift. Doc. Robbins would do autopsy and then make sure the bodies were presentable for the children. Leena and Grissom would join the children. But for now Tom and Klara were asleep and Leena was making some headway with the letters. Sara had stopped by a couple of hours ago to log in evidence and had left again to help Grissom on his case.

* * *

"Leena? Can we have something to drink?" Tom asked as he and Klara awoke. Leena looked up from her work and agreed. Together they went to the break room where they found Greg. "Hey there. How are you?" Greg greeted them.

"We are getting a drink." Proclaimed Klara proudly in English.

"Wow, you're English is perfect." Klara's face lit up from the compliment. Greg turned his attention to Leena: "Grissom was looking for you."

"Thanks. I'll go to his office, can you sit with the children?"

"Sure."

"No need. Sara and I are going to take them to dr. Robbins. After that I'll come to see you, Leena." Grissom responded from his place in the doorway.

"I'll be in your office. I need to finish something anyway…Wait, I think I should come also in case you have to explain something to Klara and Tom."

"Right." Grissom said at Leena's quick thinking. To him it was another example on how used he had gotten to the children. He had thought that or rather forgotten that they would need a native Dutch speaker. Heaving a small sigh he motioned for Leena, Tom and Klara to follow him.

After an emotional and difficult hour, Grissom and Leena found themselves in Grissom's office. They had left Sara to take care of the children, after first consoling them with the three of them present. Tom and Klara had calmed down enough to leave them with Sara. The trip to the lab and the shock of seeing their parents had exhausted Klara and Tom so much that Sara had wondered about getting them home. But first the children needed something to drink so Sara, Tom and Klara were in the break room. This left Grissom and Leena free to return to the letters. "Like I said earlier I need some more time. I haven't gotten to all the letters yet. Have you tracked down the brother?"

"No Brass, the detective who helps us, is trying to locate him."

"The thing that makes this a bit more complicated is the fact that we are only seeing one side of an extensive correspondence."

"Still if these are the letters that the brother has written there might be some clues."

"You are right, but I wanted to point that out before I tell you what I found within the letters."

"Okay, dully noted." Grissom indicate to Leena to continue. Leena moved to Grissom's chair behind his desk to grab some notes.

"Well I firstlaid the letters out in order; starting with the first letter that was written working my way up to the most recent. I have already read them all, but I haven't translated them all yet. Looking at the overall picture I found that the letters were first neutral of tone, rapidly becoming angry and then becoming much more relaxed and almost laid back."

"What do you mean by 'laid back'?"

"It is a bit difficult to explain, I'll get back to that. Now: information from the letters." Leena shuffled some papers around, finally locating her notes. "The brother had moved to America quite some time ago. He wrote how much he liked America and couldn't wait for his brother and family to com to America. Something he often repeated was that his brother would understand his point of view better when he lived in America."

"Which point of view? On what?"

"I think on abortion and euthanasia."

"Why those subjects?"

"Because those are the mean topics in the next letters. This is were they become angry of tone. Apparently their mother became ill. After a long sick bed, she dies. Barely a month after that their father gets ill. Cancer, like with their mother. The father requested that his doctors stopped treatment and euthanize him."

"Did they euthanize him?"

"You sound surprised, Grissom. In the Netherlands there are laws and regulations that allow euthanasia, under strict guidelines. The father was in fact euthanized. The American brother didn't agree. He opposed it, but was too late, according to him. He was angry that nobody asked his opinion, but that claim was unfounded. The letters bare witness to al long and heated discussion on this topic, long before the father had died."

"So the American brother was not happy with what was going on in the Netherlands?"

"No, by the way his name is Daan Gerritsma. I doubt whether he ever visited his relatives in this hour of need. Nowhere in the letters did he refer to an upcoming trip to the Netherlands."

"Not even to attend the funeral of his mother and father?"

"Not that I can gather from these letters." Leena said, ruffling through the letters. Grissom took one and looked it over, lost in thought. Any trace on the letters would have been found and the documents labs had also found nothing. Still something was nagging Grissom, he didn't know what but it was most likely something that was staring him in the face, but Grissom couldn't put his finger on it. Noticing the narrow and often irregular handwriting, Grissom thought that it must have been extremely difficult to decipher the letters: "How much time did it take to decipher these letters? I can hardly make anything out of the writing." Leena looked up from the letter that she was holding and looked right into Grissom's eyes, turning her eyes away, she felt a bit exposed, she said: "Luckily my gathers handwriting is almost as undecipherable as these letters, so it didn't take long. And you can't make anything our of it because it is mainly written in Dutch. Those words are foreign to you, the manner in which the letters are arranged are total gibberish to you. Can I take some of these letters home, so I can work on them there, we can't keep dragging the children to the lab. That will wear them out." Before Grissom could react, someone knocked on the door. Both Leena and Grissom tuned and saw Nick standing in the doorway. Grissom turned back to Leena and said: "You are right. Can you find the letters you still need to translat? We can copy them, but the original hace to remain here. I'm going to see what Nick has to say." With that Grissom laid down the letter he was holding and rose from his seat to follow Nick. Leena started to search for the letters that needed to be copied and replaced the others in the evidence bags.

* * *

"Since when can others use your office to work in?" Nick asked with a laugh in his face. Grissom scowled: "Since never, but she needed some peace and quiet. Besides Tom really likes my arachnid."

"Tom likes your tarantula? Okay. Well in the meantime I have solved the break in in the university." Nick and Grissom started to walk, Nick was leading them to Archie's sanctuary: the AV lab. "The actual break in was a fraternity prank. They came forward during the day. The university is going to deal with them on their own." Nick explained, while opening the door to the AV lab. Archie looked up and greeted the two men. "Hey Nick, Grissom."

"Hay Archie. Do you want to tell Grissom the story with the computers?"

"Yes, sure, pull up a seat." Archie waited for Grissom and Nick to sit down. "So, I finally found the computer from which the virus was sent. It was a very good, intelligent virus, something only really good programmers and hackers can make. The funny thing was that the program was saved on the same computer in the personal files of a student. It was saved under the filename: **finalassignment**. The virus was launched two weeks ago, and it really was a masterpiece. Virtually unstoppable, undetectable, unless you know what you're looking for. I found how you can counter it, but that takes some high tech stuff and a computer genius. The person who put this on the computer network is a computer genius. And with this virus got an A ."

"What do you mean, he gets an A?" Grissom asked.

"Well as soon as Nick and I told the university who put the virus in the network, one professor stepped up and asked to see the virus. He did and then said, I quote: 'so that's where the last one is. Well he deserves an A '"

"Are you telling me that this was an assignment for a grade?" Grissom couldn't believe what he was hearing, this was most likely a first.

"Yes, the other viruses were tracked relatively fast and easy, but they couldn't find the last virus. They had assumed that the assignment hadn't been done, which the professor had thought strange, since the student in question loved the subject and was very good at it, the virus bore witness to that. In the end the student is going to be offered a job in the network security. So the B&E into the computer network was an assignment from the university. No charges, but a job offer." Archie closed his narrative.

"Very good Archie and Nick." Grissom congratulated the happy lab rat and CSI. "Thanks Grissom." Nick accepted the compliment, but Grissom was lost in thought and hadn't heard Nick. He suddenly stood from his chair and muttered to himself: "That's it!" He hurried out of the AV lab and walked to his office, but saw the person he was looking for in the break room, so he chanced his direction.

Grissom saw Leena and Sara standing, while the children were once more immersed in books. Bursting through the doors Grissom blurted his question: "Why did he write letters in stead of mailing or phoning?" Leena looked at him, incredulously: "What are you? Psychic?! Sara just asked me the same question just seconds ago. I was about to answer." Grissom looked to sara, who casually raised her shoulders. "Well they do say that we are on the same wavelength." Grissom replied with a glint in his eye.

"Okay, okay, well I dint find any reference within the letters that could give us a reason as to why they wrote the letters. Maybe one wasn't really good with computers, didn't own one. Maybe it was a tradition between the two men. Your guess is as good as mine." Leena said, while she sat down on a chair and took a sip of her tea. "I have the letters that needed copying. Sara copied them, she just returned. So I am ready to take the children home."

"I am going to call a cab for you. Sara and I both need to finish something here." Grissom took out his cell phone and started dialling, while he was waiting fot the other line to be picked up, he asked Sara to give Leena the key to the house. Sara gabbed her purse and took out her keychain and gave it to Leena. Grissom had finished the conversation and turned towards the two women: "The cab is going to be here in 15 to 20 minutes. Are you all set, Leena?"

"Yes."

"Did you tell Sara what you have found?"

"Yes, she did. The letters do give the American uncle a motive, but it is a bit flimsy."

"How so Sara?" Grissom was always curious as to what Sara was thinking.

"Well what I gathered from the information leena has given the brother was angry, but calmed down, believing that his brother would come around and understand his point of view."

"So he wasn't angry with what happened anymore?" Grissom pressed.

"The tone of the letters does imply that, but the fact that the letters don't convey anger anymore doesn't mean that the anger is gone. It is just…a good attorney would blow a motive based on these letters to smithereens. We need more and we need to verify the things that are written in the letters. Because we don't know what happened in the Netherlands. And why were the topics in the letters or discussion euthanasia and abortion? For as far as we know this family has only dealt with euthanasia, why did the American brother include abortion?" Sara had processed all the information Leena had given them and connected that with the evidence they already had. Grissom could still find himself being astonished at the speed and manner of the working of Sara's mind. But his musings were interrupted by Leena's voice: "I'll translate these last letters, see what they say and maybe I can find the doctor who treated the parents or grandparents. We could then call him or her to verify the things that the letters tell us."

"That is a good idea." Grissom was cut short by Judy: "I'm sorry sir, but there is a cab outside, the driver said that you called for one, is that true?"

"Yes Judy, thank you. Leena and the children are going home. Could you take them to the cab?"

"Sure." Patiently Judy waited for the children to grab their stuff and put it in the bags. She then showed them out, leaving Grissom and Sara in the break room. "You have a fascinating mind, Sara." Grissom moved in front of Sara.

"So people tell me. Most men are intimidated by that." Sara looked Grissom in the eye.

"I'm not most men and I'm not intimidated by your mind. I find it fascinating and beautiful."

"Why thank you. Why did I need to stay here? Catherine has already left, I have to wait for trace, which isn't coming through this shift. And it's almost the end of this shift. So why do I need to stay?"

"I could use some help with the entomological timeline. That way I wont have to stay the entire day. Interested?" Grissom grabbed Sara's hand and started pulling her to his office.

"To see you play with bugs? Always." Sara turned and followed Grissom to his office, where they remained the next few hours to establish the time of death of the bug infested body they had seen this shift.

**Author note: Please review.**


	11. Talking with doctors

Talking with doctors

Annoyed Sara looked up from her work and watched the cell phone dance on the table. She saw Grissom extent his hand to grab the offending piece of technology. "Grissom."

"Hello Gil. I called to say that your female victim from the pair. The two that you viewed with the children." Doc. Robbins could almost hear Grissom going through the list of bodies that had been brought in." Tom and Klara's mother. Yes, what did you find?" At hearing Tom and Klara's names Sara's attention was instantly snapped back to the conversation between Grissom and doc. Robbins. She managed to get eye contact with Grissom, who just nodded, acknowledging her.

"Well I found evidence of an abortion. Do you have their medical files?"

"No not yet. The police is trying to find the medical files, but had no luck, so far."

"If they find them I will see them and maybe be able to tell you a bit more." Doc. Robbins closed the files and put them away.

"Yes thank you." Grissom closed his phone and looked straight into Sara's expectant eyes. "What did doc. Robbins tell you?"

"Tom and Klara's mother had an abortion."

"So that's how abortion got pulled into the discussion between the brothers."

"That would be a good guess."

"Did Jim have any luck with the brother?"

"They found an address, but he wasn't there. Someone is keeping a look out. The moment he gets in, we will know."

"Can we get a warrant for his home?"

"Not yet. Brass is trying to get it. Lets go home. There is nothing else we can do here."

"How about paperwork?" Sara asked with a smile on her face. Grissom looked at her, as if he thought she was mad for suggesting it. He saw her smile, so he returned it: "That'll be here tomorrow."

"Okay." Sara bent to pick up her bag.

"But I'm driving." Grissom swiftly grabbed the keys, leaving Sara stunned: "Wha…he… I drove here!" she called after Grissom's retreating form.

"I know, so I'm driving back." He called over his shoulder, seeing Sara admitting defeat: "Fine you drive." Sara mock pouted.

The playful banter between the two continued, while they were in the car and evolved into playful banter and light conversation. As they reached their home it transformed into loving, lingering looks, small gestures and touches and sweet terms of endearment. As both walked into the hallway, Grissom pulled Sara into his arms and whispered in her ear: "The doctor said I was healthy, I still have to watch my cholesterol, but according to him, someone was helping me keep fit. And according to him I would be able to knock you up. Just in case he has given me a number for a fertility expert, but as far as he was concerned I wouldn't need it." Sara immediately remembered one of the things she loved about Grissom. When he made up his mind he didn't drag his feet, but would go for it one hundred percent. She kissed him on the cheek an whispered, while butterflies were fluttering in her stomach: "My doctor said the same thing." Grissom looked her in the eye and kissed passionately. After several minutes he pushed her towards the living room. When he faced a closed door he reluctantly released Sara partially and opened the door only to quickly face Sara again an return to the much appreciated pastime of kissing her, once more forgetting his surroundings. Which in this case consisted of a stunned strawberry blond co-worker, who after the initial shock cleared her throat. Surprised Sara and Grissom looked around for the source of the sound. They saw Leena and Catherine who where seated at the dinner table, which was partly covered in papers.

"Catherine." Grissom voiced his surprise: "Why are you here?"

"Well I thought I would invite myself over for breakfast. I left just before you, at least you were clearing up your workstation. So I guessed you were ready to go home. You did take your time."

"Yes, well, I had a last minute call I had to take." Grissom defended himself, immediately feeling ridiculous since he didn't need to justify his actions to Catherine.

"And then cuddled with Sara in the hallway for a good 10 minutes." Came Catherine's sharp reply.

"Yeah, this is our home and we didn't know we had a visitor." Sara said, effectively closing the conversation.

"So breakfast: eggs or pancakes?" Grissom asked.

"Pancakes." Tom said. The adults turned towards him. He stood in the doorway in his pyjama's and held Klara's hand, who was clutching her stuffed animal to her chest, while sucking on her thumb.

"You two are supposed to be in bed." Grissom commented.

"Yes, but we heard voices and we are hungry." Tom explained, Grissom nodded and the two children came and sat at the table, while Sara and Grissom went to the kitchen to make the requested pancakes.

* * *

Two hours later Catherine had left the Grissom household and the children had once again been returned to bed. The three remaining adults were seated at the table, which was covered with several letters, that needed a translation and notes Leena had made. They were discussing those letters. Grissom had told Leena about the abortion. "I found the name of the doctor and with internet also found the telephone number. I have already called and made an appointment to call back. Tonight, around 2.00 o'clock. It's in your shift and 10.00 o'clock in the Netherlands. The doctor had a free morning so he has got plenty of time. Is that alright with you?"

"Yes, but it does mean another trip tot the lab for the children."

"No not really. Lindsay is going to come around, so she can babysit. And I'm not going to be in the lab the entire time. I already cleared it with Catherine. It's okay."

"Well, if that is arranged, we should get to bed." Sara said. She and Grissom rose and walked to the bedroom. Leena quickly grabbed the papers and went to the guestroom. Tonight they would need their wits about them.

* * *

"Today there are no cases yet. Work on your open cases and the reports. If you can please help around in the various labs. Last week the lab rats were frustrated and ready to kill, because of a shortage in work. Now no one is safe from their glares, because they are overrun with evidence. Only Bobby from firearms would kiss you for giving him some evidence to process. I fear it is only a matter of time before he is back to firing guns to test one thing or another." Grissom had briefly talked to Bobby before shift, since he was the only one who could spare the time and he had listened to Bobby complaining over a lack of work. Bobby had said something about criminals forgetting the beauty of a gun. Grissom could only be relieved about criminals forgetting about the existence of guns. If only somehow they would forget about the existence of knives, swords, pipes, baseball bats, poisons and all other means of taking a life or inflicting bodily harm.

"Why don't you let him shoot some of the bodies in the body farm?" Nick jokingly said.

"That might actually be a good idea. I have been meaning to do some experiments with bullets and bodies, I'll let Bobby think about that. Thanks Nick. It's a good time anyway, since I'm getting three fresh bodies next week." Grissom said, looking like a kid who had just gotten a much coveted toy.

"Morbid, Grissom, morbid." Warrick dryly commented. Sara, Nick and Catherine merely snickered.

"Right, well…in the meantime I'd like some updates on your open cases. Nick closed the university case. Catherine how is the case of the lady in cat manor going?"

"Doc. Robbins ruled it as death by natural causes. The woman had a very, very, poor health and the living conditions in the end killed her. Bad hygiene and a cat infested home. So the evidence does need to be written up, but the case is closed. The body is going to be cremated as soon as possible."

"No relatives came forward?"

"No and there are signs of infectious diseases, so she needs to be cremated a.s.a.p. And well the case from yesterday. The bodies were badly decomposed. David boiled them and cleaned the bones. They were all killed by blunt force trauma. They were discovered by a real estate agent, who wanted to sell the place. Time of death was three months ago." Everybody flinched, knowing the stench that would have been lingering in the basement.

"We found a steel bar with blood on it, comparison of that with the indentations in the skulls, show that it is the murder weapon. We found some prints on it, but Jackie is pretty busy, so hopefully today we'll find who those prints belong to." Sara finished their story.

"Good work. Warrick how is the case with the orphanage?"

"Evidence shows that the headmistress was beaten to death. I found ten different fist marks on her. But which one delivered the final blow is hard to tell. We may never know. The children do collaborate wit the story. According to them the headmistress had beaten a young child, who had done nothing wrong. That didn't sit well and ahd been the proverbial drop that tipped the bucket. So some went to the headmistress and started beating her. They realised that she needed to die or they would b beaten day in day out, and so they said, prison couldn't be worse then this place."

"Did you make a plan with Tammy?"

"Yes, today the child services are closing the orphanage and I'm going over there to get evidence." The break room fell silent as everybody saw the horrific events that had happened in the orphanage. Grissom sadly shook his head: "Good work Warrick. So everybody work on your open vases and help the lab rats. Oh and from 2.00 I don't want to be interrupted. I'm staying in my office, I need to make a rather long call, so until my office door is opened again, bombard Catherine with your problems. Sara will be with me during that time. Okay?" Grissom looked at his team and saw them nodding. As they started to rise Nick noticed Greg's absence: "Where is Greg?"

"Still working on his cars in the garage."

* * *

At 2.00 Sara closed Grissom's office door, as Leena dialled the doctor and switched the phone to hands free call.

"Doctor van Leeuwen, hi, it's Leena Janssen. I called yesterday evening. The two people who wanted to talk to you are also here, you are on hands free. Doctor Grissom and miss Sidle both speak English and have some questions regarding the family I called about."

"Yes, Peter and Carolien Gerritsma. I looked up their files and those of his parents. They were patients with me. What do you need to know?"

"Do you still have their medical files? Shouldn't they be in America?" Grissom asked, still wondering where those files were.

"Yes, but they hadn't gotten around to getting a regular physician. So I still have their medical files."

"Could you send those to us?

"They are confidential. I have no problem discussing Peters parents, they are both deceased."

"But didn't Leena tell you?" Grissom asked.

"No I didn't. It is not my job and I dint want to interfere with yours, Grissom." Leena explained.

"Okay." Grissom accepted her apology. "I'm very sorry to tell you that Peter and Caroline Gerritsma have died." Grissom told dr. van Leeuwen. About the fate that had befallen Peter and Carolien. The doctor fell silence for some moments. "That greatly saddens me, they were good people. How are Tom and Klara?"

"They are okay, considering. They are staying with us and Leena for the moment. Could we get the medical files?"

"Yes absolutely. But I also had understood that you wanted to talk to me about Peters parents."

"That is correct. We found several letters in mister Gerritsma's home, which dealt with what had happened to his parents." before Grissom could say more he was stopped by dr. van Leeuwen: "Did Daan, Peter's brother write those?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Daan also wrote some letters to his parents and he wasn't happy with what happened here."

"Could you please tell us, so we can see what in the letters did happen and what not?" Sara asked, cutting to the chase.

"Okay. Peter's mother Gerda was diagnosed with cancer about two years ago. She tried to fight it but a year later she died in her sleep, she went peacefully. By that time even before she was diagnosed Daan had moved to America. As far as I know he didn't come back for the funeral and he never saw his mother while she was ill. It angered Peter, but Jan, his father, didn't really care. Later he did tell me he had felt almost betrayed by Daan. Anyway, about a month later we also found cancer with Jan. The same place as in Gerda: the lungs. Jan tried to fight it, but you could see his heart wasn't in it. Jan really tried to life for his sons and his grandchildren, but he had lost too much with Gerda. So two months later the cancer didn't go down, it had spread at a very high speed. And Jan was in a lot of pain, not just from the cancer, but from missing Gerda. After talking a lot with Peter and me, Jan asked to be put to sleep. Nine months ago we euthanized him, so he could return to his beloved Gerda and be happy." Dr. van Leeuwen ended his narrative. Grissom and Sara looked at each other, slightly shocked and deeply in thought.

"You euthanized him?" Sara asked hesitantly.

"Here in the Netherlands that is legal, as long as you follow the law and regulations."

"What are those laws and regulations?" Grissom had been curious about those, yes he did know that in the Netherlands euthanasia was legal, but that was all. He wanted to understand how people could live with that.

"There are a lot of regulations, but most important is that the request has to be made by the patient in his right mind, so we have to asses the sanity of the patient. There has to be pain that cannot be lessened by medication and that will endure and lead to death. A second opinion has to be given to that fact. And we have to report it. And yes all laws and regulations were followed with Jan Gerritsma."

"So the family is not asked about their opinion?"

"No, not by us, I mean it is not required, but we usually do talk about it. Usually the decision is made after a thorough discussion with the family. The family is usually very reluctant and will try to attempt to change the mind of the patient. But in the end it is the patients decision and the family normally accepts that decision. The decision has to be made by the patient out of free will."

"Was Daan included in the discussion, as far as you know?"

"Yes he was. He was apposed, he wrote his father often, trying to persuade him to do otherwise."

"Obviously it didn't work."

"No, Daan didn't make time to come visit his ailing mother, her funeral or his ailing father, but he did feel as if he had the right to tell his father what he had to do or rather what couldn't do."

"Did Daan come to his fathers funeral?"

"As far as I know not. Do you know where Daan is?"

"We are looking for him." Grissom said.

"Okay, was that all you needed to know?"

"One more thing. Did Caroline have an abortion?"

"Yes, her third pregnancy was terminated because it posed a viable thread to both mother and child."

"What was Daan's opinion about that?"

"I believe he was opposed to it, but I can't be completely sure."

"Does Caroline have anymore relatives?"

"No, her parents have died and she was an only child."

"Thank you for your time doctor." Grissom thanked dr. van Leeuwen. He was anxious to get back to work and put these pieces in the puzzle that was the brutal murder of two young parents.

"Dr. Grissom?"

"Yes?"

"Could I say one more thing?"

"Sure, go ahead." Grissom was curious as to what else dr. van Leeuwen had to say at the last moment.

"I just want to implore you not to think about the Dutch as barbaric, because we allow euthanasia or to view this family as any less for requesting it for a family member. Euthanasia is still a very hot topic in the politics as well as abortion. A lot of doctors are still very reluctant to use it. But euthanasia is allowed for precisely the case Jan set. He was never going to get better and he was in excruciating pain. It was a humane and kind thing to do, I stand by that. Please remember that the children had no part in this."

"We understand doctor van Leeuwen and we will never hold Tom and Klara responsible for any of this. They are innocent children and we will make sure they get the best care. Thank your for your time doctor v. Leeuwen."

"You're welcome. If you've got anymore questions don't hesitate to call, around this hour would be great. And thank your for taking care of the children. Goodbye."

"Goodbye." And with that Grissom cut the connection. He looked at Sara, who was deep in thought, trying to process everything she had heard. And the he looked at Leena who calmly sat, waiting for someone to say something. When no one did she started talking: "Well that confirms the contents of the letters."

"Yes, I think we really need to talk to Daan Gerritsma and see his house. I hope Brass can get a warrant with this information. " with that he took out the tape recording of the conversation.

"yes, I hope this helps you to solve these murders." Leena said as she rose from her seat. "I'm going home, unless you need me for something else? I have rehearsals tomorrow for the LVPD ball."

"No, it's fine, you can go home. Thank you. If we have questions we'll ask them at home." Grissom said, opening his door and leading both women out of his office. "I need to check with Catherine and Greg. I'll see you soon, Griss. Have fun with the insect timeline." Sara said as she indicated the work Grissom still had to do. She needed some time to digest everything she had learned and she really had promised Catherine to check with her before joining Greg in the garage for yet another car wreck. Grissom saw her walk away and then turned to the job at hand: the insect timeline.

**Author note: wow, that was a long chapter, I do hope you liked it. About the information on euthanasia: the information, though a bit crude and easy, is correct. Euthanasia is not a common practice, it happens rarely. **

**Oh and please review? **


	12. Daan Gerritsma

**Author note: okay I have changed Bruno's name into Hank, because that is the actual name of Grissom's dog. I hope you like the next chapter. Let me say also once more: opinions that characters have are completely fictive.**

Daan Gerritsma

Carrying two steaming cups of coffee, Grissom was trying to locate Sara. She was somewhere outside, he had seen her go outside. Finally he saw her sitting on the sidewalk. The same spot he had found her on when she had been injured by the explosion of the lab. He walked towards her and when he stood next to her he handed her a coffee and sat down beside her. "Here you go. Greg told me you were taking a break and I saw you go outside. How is the car wreck coming along?"

"Fine, we found what happened to this car. Greg is coming along nicely. Have you talked to him?"

"Yes he has given me an update: the accident started initially with five cars and after those accidents it became a pile-up. I believe he has taken care of eight cars so far."

"He ahs, I'm only helping him with the five primary cars. According to him, he could still learn a lot about cars from me."

"Well he could, all of us could."

"Sure. How are the insects coming along?"

"They are coming along nicely. I'm going to need a couple of more days to find an approximate time of death."

"Okay." Sara fell silent and also Grissom seemed to need some time to form his next sentence. After a couple of moments he started talking: "Before I went to find you, Mia paged me. She had found something interesting in the blood samples we had brought her on the Gerritsma-case."

"What did she find?"

"She had found an unknown DNA sample. Or at least partially unknown. The sample had seven alleles in common with Peter Gerritsma's DNA profile."

"That means relative, a brother, son, farther. And since the father is death and the son had no scratch on him, it would most likely be the brother."

"I had drawn the same conclusion. I phoned it through to Brass, who is attempting to get a warrant for the search of Daan's house. Maybe with this he'll be more successful."

"So the first attempt fell through?"

"Yes, too little evidence."

"Has Brass had any luck with the tracking of the brother?"

"No. Oh remind me to get some DNA material from Tom and Klara, to rule them out as suspects."

"I hope I don't forget." Sara smiled at Grissom, who wasn't going to forget to bring the toothbrushes of both children. "So we know that the contents of the letters are true. We are getting the medical files." Sara counted off on her fingers. Grissom could sense that she was a bit uncomfortable and decided to address that: "Sara, are you uncomfortable with what we learned from dr. Van Leeuwen?" Sara looked up and her eyes searched Grissom's face as if the right answer would lie in his face. It wasn't there. Sara sighed: "Honestly, I don't know what to think about euthanasia and abortion. I mean it is something that is generally speaking not done here. I sometimes think that people requesting euthanasia don't value life, and that is something that I find disappointing. It's the same with abortion, although that is more common here. On the other hand I can somewhere find sympathy for those people who want to stop the pain, when the only path they are walking is towards death. I have never before been confronted with euthanasia in this way. It's a bit much to take in. What do you think?" Sara was curious to Grissom's point of view. He had once openly talked about death, he had then said that he wouldn't want to die abruptly. He wanted to have time to say goodbye.

"For me this is also new. I must admit that I am very curious to the way in which the Dutch handle euthanasia and abortion. I am reminded of the fact that there is a whole different world outside of America. That is something I like and I want to understand it, because I don't understand it. Doctors are supposed to help and cure people, they have access to different poisons and they shouldn't misuse that knowledge and access. That is why they have to take the oath of Hippocrates. And here is a country that is saying: "You know what, we will allow that use of knowledge, as long as you follow some rules." It feels like a very slippery slope. Maybe we could talk to Leena about it, see if she can help us understand." Grissom responded, taking Sara's hand and pulling her up, after had risen from the sidewalk.

"That is a good idea. Oh by the way: Leena is taking Tom and Klara to the Dutch Embassy, several families for foster care or adoption have come forward. She wants to know which and whether there might be a solution to that…" Before Grissom could answer, his cell phone rang, quickly pulling it out of his pocket he opened it: "Grissom…He, what is it?...Yeah…Okay…No, we'll meet you there, keep him there…I'm taking Sara…twenty minutes maybe half an hour…Yes…Okay, bye." Grissom shut his cell phone and put it back in his pocket, while he started to talk to Sara and dragged her to the car. "That was Brass, Daan Gerritsma has surfaced. Apparently he was on a holiday. We've got a warrant for his DNA. We'll ask him for the letters and to search his house. If he refuses we try a warrant." Grissom had started the car as Sara took out her phone and told Catherine where they were going.

Twenty minutes later, traffic had been light, Grissom stopped outside a small home. He saw Brass' vehicle parked in front of the house, with a squad car in front and at the rear of the vehicle. Sara walked to the booth of their car and grabbed her kit. Grissom waited for her to join him and together they walked to Brass who was standing with a tall blonde man on the porch. "Brass." Grissom nodded as way of greeting.

"Grissom, Sara, this is Daan Gerritsm. Daan Gerritsma, these are the people I was talking about. This is Dr. Grissom, crime scene investigator, and Miss Sidle." Brass introduced Grissom and Sara. Both shook the hand that Daan Gerritsma extended as a welcome.

"Detective Brass just told me the dreadful news. May I ask were the children are?"

"Absolutely, they are taken good care of." Grissom felt very reluctant to give more information then absolutely necessary. He could feel that Sara was not comfortable, he himself was also not completely at ease. Grissom couldn't exactly say why, but something about this man just stroked him the wrong way.

"Well, when can I collect them?" Daan said.

"When can you collect who?" Grissom was wondering why this man was so calm, collected. His brother was dead, bet he didn't seem to care.

"The children of course. I am their guardian."

"we will see. Where were you the past couple of days?" Grissom asked.

"Like I told the good detective here, I was away for a couple of days, a short holiday, to a hotel/resort, just outside the city." Brass nodded his assent, when Grissom looked his way, Brass had gotten the same information.

"Can anyone verify that?"

"Probably the staff."

"When did your holiday start?"

"Ehm.. six days ago."

"Had you seen your brother and his wife before you went away?"

"Yes, I visited them the first day of my holiday. I drove to the hotel from their place."

"How late was that?"

"Oh, I don't know, around five. I guess."

"Okay, did you eat there?"

"No I left before dinner."

"We would like your fingerprints and a sample of your DNA. Just so we can exclude you as a suspect, it's normal procedure." Grissom explained, as Sara grabbed her printing utensils and a q-tip. While Daan was being printed by Sara, Grissom and Bras stood back. Daan started to talk: "You've got nice soft hands, miss."

"Thank you." From the corner of her eye she could see Grissom make a fist, trying to calm down. He had never been able to handle men who hit on Sara.

"So when can I get the children?" Daan asked Sara who was writing some things down to catalogue the fingerprints. "After we processed these and excluded you from our enquiries, we will see to it that you are reunited with Tim and Karla, sir." Sara calmly said, fervently hoping that Grissom and Brass wouldn't respond. For good measure she quickly flicked a glance at Grissom and saw a very small nod. He had caught on. She also saw the small hand gesture he made to Brass. Neither men spoke.

"Thank you." Daan hadn't seen the exchange between the two csi's and the detective, deftly stepping into the trap Sara had set.

"Mister Gerritsma, we found several letters in your brothers house, letters you wrote. Did he ever write back?"

"Yes, he did."

"Could we see those letters?"

"I don't have them anymore."

"Why did you write letters? Why not email?"

"It's something that just grew. He was visiting grandma, when we were little, and I couldn't come, because I was ill. He wrote me a letter and I wrote back. Since then every time we were away from each other we wrote letters."

"That is nice, were you two close?"

"We were pretty close, I mean we were still brothers so we did fight, but we were okay afterwards."

"Did you ever have a big argument?"

"Well yes, you see we are both from the Netherlands. I emigrated to the USA three years ago. He had just come here six months ago. My parents still lived in the Netherlands before he moved here, but my mother got cancer and died, shortly after that my father also got cancer and died. I couldn't come, my brother was angry that I didn't come to see them."

"Why didn't you go to your parents?"

"I didn't have the money, but I couldn't say that to my brother. I was really devastated not to have been able to be there for my parents."

"Okay. Could we perhaps have a look around in your house?"

"I'd like to fully cooperate with the police, but why do you want to look in my house?"

"We found some fibres, pieced of fabric, from an unknown source. We would like to see if they came from this house."

"Okay. I'll show you around." Daan led the way to the front door and then gave the three people a tour through his house. Sara and Grissom didn't find anything out of order, but did take some samples of the carpet. When they were once again outside, Grissom thanked Daan for his cooperation. "And we will be in touch."

"Yes for the children." Daan shook the hands. Brass started to walk away, then threw up his had, as if he remembered something he had forgot, and walked back to Daan. Grissom and Sara were still within the earshot and heard every word. "Mister Gerritsma, one more question. I'm not completely clear on the names of the children. What were they?"

"Miss Sidle did know them. Their names are Tim and Karla."

"Thank you." Brass scribbled something down and then turned and walked towards the parked cars.

* * *

Making sure they were out of earshot, Brass, Grissom and Sara started to whisper. "Good catch, Sara." Brass complimented her. "Remind me never to get you across from me in an interrogation."

"Okay Brass. I wondered why he consistently called them the children, instead of calling them by their names. But why is he interested in them He doesn't care enough for them to remember their names, then why get himself through all kind of trouble raising them. And why didn't he ask for his brother and wife to bury them?"

"I also wondered about them. Brass keep a police care here, keep him under surveillance, in case he decides to burn the letters. Sara, we are going to get these samples processed as quick as possible. We've got to try and get a warrant to search the house. I'm hoping he still got those letters. According to Leena Daan sometimes referred to letters written by his brother, sometimes going back one or two years."

"Yes but now those letters don't matter anymore, so why keep them?"

"I don't know, except that those letters contain a lot of information. We also need to find out whether Daan is really the guardian of those children. Could you try and find that piece of information Brass?" Grissom asked Brass, who wrote it down. "I'll see what I can do. I need to go, see you later."

"Bye Brass." Sara called out from behind the care were she just had placed her kit in the trunk. Grissom sat down in the driver seat and turned the engine on, while Sara climbed in her seat. Sara dug in her pants as she felt the vibrations from her mobile. "Sidle… oh Leena, aren't you supposed to be asleep? … Right, hang on." Sara placed the phone in the hands free set. "Okay, you're on speaker. What did you find in the last letter?"

"Daan was trying to persuade his brother to let him teach his children the true values."

"What does he mean by that?"

"He tells his brother not to poison the minds of the children with that Dutch crap. He actually wrote it down like that, in English. Daan says now that they are in America the children should be raised as good Americans, forsaking everything Dutch and European. By the tone that the letter set, I am inclined to think that his brother doesn't agree. Also apparently Peter mentions his wife, because in the last letter Daan writes: 'don't let that bitch, I'm sorry I know she is your wife, but she's still a bitch, walk over you like that. Of course she want a say in the children's upbringing, but that doesn't mean she can dictate you on how to raise your children. Come on be a man and tell her what you really want and don't give me that crap about the good things in Dutch society and way of thinking or about letting your children know where they came from and their ancestors. I don't believe for a second that that is really the way you think, otherwise you wouldn't have come here.' I mean this is a literal translation, I know it's still got to be checked. I thought you might want to know."

"Yes we do want to know. Thank you very much. It looks like this is going to be a long shift, we might not come home. Would you mind walking Hank?"

"No problem. Anything else?"

"You might want to get some groceries. Thanks."

"Okay, well see you, bye."

"Goodbye, say hi to Tom and Klara, okay?"

"Will do." And then Sara and Grissom heard the click of the receiver being place in it's cradle. Sara looked up at Grissom: "I'm starting to dislike this Daan more every second. I didn't feel at all comfortable in his presence. He's got something slick in his appearance and acting. I don't trust him."

"Neither do I." Grissom sighed, admitting to his feeling.

** Author note: So please, please review?**


	13. A sweet interlude

**Author note: a short sweet chapter. I also want to thank you all for your sweet reviews so: Thank you!**

A sweet interlude

Sara rushed to Mia's Workstation to deliver the DNA sample and then to Jackie to give her the fingerprint. Both got the same message: "Process this as soon as possible." Then Sara looked around for Grissom. She found him buried under paperwork in his office. "Can I help Griss?" Sara asked as she closed his door. Grissom distractedly looked up from his work: "Paperwork from Catherine's and Nick's cases. Could you get me some real coffee and a sandwich?"

"Sure, I'll hop over to the deli. I'll be back in fifteen minutes." Sara turned and went to the locker room to get her coat. She ran into Catherine. "Hey Sar. I just got a call from Lindsay, she loved babysitting Tom and Klara. She wanted to know if she could do that more often."

"If that's alright with you and the occasion arises. She does know that they aren't living with us permanently right?"

"Yes, I told her that and she reassures me that she knows."

"Okay. I'll call when we need a sitter again, okay?"

"Yeah sure. How's the case going anyway?"

"We just spoke to the brother, he was a bit of a creep. I got an icky feeling with him."

"An icky feeling?" Catherine snickered, she had never heard Sara say those words before. Sara was unaffected by Catherine's snickering: "Yes, an icky feeling. I wasn't comfortable, even Grissom wasn't comfortable with him. Hey, want to grab some coffee and sandwiches from the deli?"

"No, I want to get home, listen Hodges still got some trace evidence and Mia still got some DNA samples from our case. Doc. Robbins is trying to identify the bodies with their dental records. Could you check in on them?"

"Sure, I'm pulling a double as it is, no problem. Say hi and thank you to Lindsay from me.""

"Okay, bye." Catherine walked out of the locker room as Sara got her coat and purse from her locker.

* * *

"Here you go: real coffee and a BLT sandwich. That should keep you going for some time." Sara looked for a space to place a steaming cup and a brown bag on the overflowing desk which partly hid Grissom. Grissom didn't look up, he merely said: "Thank you."

"Ehm…Where should I leave it?" Sara asked, knowing there was no place on the desk and seeing Grissom completely concentrated on his work.

"Just somewhere on the desk." Came the slightly wary voice.

"Honey, please look around." Sara said, she saw Grissom raise his head, first focussing on Sara. She was holding two steaming cups by their rim, desperately trying not to burn her fingers and two bags, barely hanging on her pinkies. "Hello angel."

"I love you too, but these bags are close to falling and the coffee is still nice and hot." Grissom looked at his overflowing desk. Finally understanding Sara's predicament he quickly walked to her, taking a brown bag and cup from her, then nodding to one chair inviting her to sit. He took the other seat and placed the cup on the floor. Grissom looked in the bag: "I thought you had gotten me a BLT sandwich?"

"I did." Sara was trying to place her cup on the floor without her bag sliding from her shoulder, that would certainly cause her to spill the coffee. Grissom quickly grabbed the strap of her bag. "Thanks Gil."

"I think you've got my sandwich." Looking inside her brown bag, Sara smiled: "You're right, here." Sara took Grissom's bag as she gave him the one containing the BLT sandwich. Grissom took the sandwich out of the bag and smelled it, a smile spreading on his face. He took a bite and heaved a sigh. When he had swallowed, he took a sip from his coffee, after having smelled it first. Then he looked at Sara, who had watched it all. "You truly are an angel and a life saver." Sara laughed, feeling light, as if all the troubles had been lifted from her shoulders. "I'm glad I could be of service." For the next few minutes there was only a glorious, relaxing silence in Grissom's office. Both inhabitants contend to just be in each others presence, letting the world spin without them for now.

When she was finished Sara sat back and looked around in the office. It was amazing, every time she discovered something new in his office. Her eyes travelled over the mounted insects, the radiated fetal pig to the terrarium, home to his tarantula. She had to laugh about what she saw. "What is it?" Grissom curiously asked, knowing that Sara loved looking around in his office, always asking questions to satisfy her insatiable thirst for knowledge. He was more then happy to oblige. "I think someone feels left out. Look." Sara pointed at his tarantula that sat still, looking at the two humans, as close to the glass as it could get. "You're probably right. I'm going to feed her."

"I'll clean up the bags and cups." Sara had just thrown them in the bin, when Mia knocked on the door. Grissom looked around and saw Mia: "Yes, Mia, can I help you?"

"Ehm.. I'm not going to be able to do the DNA today, or rather the machine is running now, but it's going to be next shift. If I would wait for it, I have to pull a double and I'm knackered." Mia quickly added.

"It's okay Mia. Do it next shift, but first thing please."

"Yes, absolutely." Mia said, a short uncomfortable silence fell as Mia looked alternately to Sara and Grissom. She had a great respect for both and for the love they shared. That love radiated off them now, it was something the lab tat only rarely got to see. Grissom and Sara had just shared some private time between tem. Mia loved seeing them like this, but also felt like an intruder. Grissom finally broke the silence: "Was there something else, Mia?" Mia seemed to wake from her ruminations: "Ehm…yes. Bobby, Hodges, Archie, Jackie and me are going home. Jackie asked me to call you, Sara, she has something on your fingerprints. That was it, have a good rest of the day."

"Thank you, Mia." Sara said, just before Mia tuned and walked away. When she had left Grissom heaved a small sigh, as he looked at his desk. He wished he could go home like Mia and the rest of the lab rats. Sara saw Grissom looking at his desk and saw the frustration on his face. She walked over to him and gently laid her hand on his arms. Grissom lifted his head and looked at Sara, a pleading look in his eyes.

"How about this: I go see what Jackie has and you do an hour of paperwork. Then I'll come and get you and we can go home for a couple hours of sleep?" Grissom hung his shoulders in defeat: "Okay. Don't forget to pick me up."

"I won't."

* * *

Forty five minutes later Sara sat in the break room, when her phone rang out. Flipping it open, Sara absentmindedly answered.

"Sara, could you please come and pick us up?" the slightly frantic voice of Leena called out.

"Ehm… where and why?"

"The Dutch Embassy, and you'll have to see for yourself."

"Can't you call a cab?"

"I am not submitting an innocent, defenceless cabdriver to this madness."

"And you have no problem, submitting me to madness?'

"Eh…less problems. Oh we need a care with a big trunk."

"We took the Denali. I'll get Grissom. See you soon." Sara shut her phone and strolled to Grissom's office.

"Grissom, Leena needs us to pick her and Tom and Klara up."

"Can't she take a cab?"

"Apparently she isn't willing to submit a poor defenceless cabdriver to madness. She said she needed a car with a big trunk."

"Okay, I'm going to take the tarantula home, her home needs a good cleaning. Lets go."

**Author note: please tell me what you thought of this chapter. Reviews are great and make my day.**


	14. Pets, lots of pets and a knife

**Author note: I'm back with this story. I have written some chapters, please be on the look out for more chapters in the coming days. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

Pets, lots of pets and a knife

Leena shut her phone, wondering how she had gotten herself in this mess in the first place. Here she was standing with Tom and Klara on the steps of the Dutch Embassy with two rabbits and a husky. How was she going to explain this to Sara and Grissom? Two people, who valued their privacy and space highly. In the last week their household had grown 150 even if it was only temporary, it was still a lot.

The afternoon had started so calm and quiet. Leena had gotten up before Tom and Klara, she had made a cup of tea and was reading the newspaper when Tom came down. He said that Klara was crying. Leena went upstairs and found Klara in her bed, she was very upset. Leena asked Tom if he knew why Klara was upset, since she couldn't understand what Klara was trying to say. Leena had managed to gather two names from between Klara's sobs: Flappie 1 and Flappie 2. Tom then told Leena that Klara was upset about not being able to visit Flappie 1 and Flappie 2 and Crystal. It didn't clarify anything for Leena, so she asked who they were. Tom looked at her and suddenly seemed to realise that Leena didn't know Flappie 1, Flappie 2 and Crystal. "They are our bunnies and dog. We couldn't take them home yet, but we could visit them in the large building. We haven't been to visit them this week and Klara misses them, I guess. I miss Blacky, Brownie and Little White too."

"Who are Blacky, Brownie and Little White?" Leena asked fervently hoping they were stuffed animals. "They are our gerbils, they are home. When can we go home? I think they need some food and water. Oh and I want to cycle, but my bicycle is at home. Couldn't we go and visit our home?" Tom asked as Klara sobbed into Leena's shoulder, presenting Leena with two difficulties: Klara was still crying, because she wanted to see some animals somewhere in a large building and Tom wanted to go home, which was still a crime scene. Leena decided to tackle those two problems later: "You know what? Why don't we go downstairs and eat some breakfast. After that we've got to go to the Dutch Embassy, maybe they can help with Flappie 1 and 2 and Crystal. Then I'll call Grissom."

"Gil." Tom point blankly refused to call Grissom anything other than Gil. "Gil, if we could see your home in a couple of days." Leena finished.

"No today." Tom insisted. Leena sighed, knowing she couldn't make any promises: "We'll see, Klara do you feel better now?" Klara hiccupped: "Yes, a little bit."

An hour later Leena, Tom and Klara were standing in the reception hall of the Dutch Embassy. Leena told the receptionist who they were, she got someone who could help them. Five minutes later Leena, Klara and Tom were seated in an office and Tom and Klara had gotten some lemonade and toys, they were playing in a corner, while Leena and a mister Van Vliet were talking. "Miss Janssen, thank you for coming. I'm afraid I've got some bad news."

"Oh, what is it?"

"The families that came forward to take Tom and Klara in pulled out."

"That is indeed bad news. Who pulled out?"

"They all did. One family had to get back to the Netherlands a.s.a.p. One family has just received the news that one of it's members has cancer, they can't take in two children. Two families are expecting their own children in six months and the last family is moving to Australia in six months, quite suddenly." Leena tried to remain calm, she had hoped one of the families could take Tom and Klara in.

"Besides this news, I believe there was a legal guardian appointed to them."

"This is news to me, do you know who was appointed their guardian?"

"I don't know, you'll have to talk to the lawyer of the Gerritsma family."

"I will make sure to do that. What do you suggest we do with the children in the meantime?" Leena had a pretty good idea of what had to be done with Tom and Klara: the best would be to keep them where they were right now, with her, Grissom and Sara, but Leena needed someone else to say it.

"I suggest you keep them where they are right now."

"Great."

"Is that a problem?"

"I don't know, I am staying with my friends and that is where Tom and Klara are also. I think my friends wound mind letting them stay a bit longer."

"Okay."

"Well, I guess that was it. You are going to keep searching, aren't you?" Leena was starting to get up. "Of course, but right now those families were our only shot. Oh, ehm… one more thing. The Gerritsma family were supposed to pick up their animals, they have been released from quarantine and have arrived here on the Embassy three days ago. Could you take those animals with you. You see, we are not a shelter."

"Well I suppose we will have to take them home. Where are they?"

"I'll take you." Mr. van Vliet rose, so did Leena, who called Tom and Klara. Klara looked up expectantly: "Are we going to see Flappie 1 and 2 and Crystal?"

"Yes." Leena sighed, no knowing how she should explain this to Grissom and Sara. Sure thay ha a dog and several insects, but this was not something anyone had seen coming. How would they react to the pets? Oh well we will see when the time comes to tell them, Leena thought, fervently hoping it would be a good deal later. But not ten minutes later Leena opened the cell phone to call Sara for a ride. Here she was waiting for Sara and Grissom with two energetic children, two rabbits and a dog.

Half an hour later Leena had her head buried in her hands, Klara was petting the rabbits and dog and Tom was standing, looking out for Gil to come pick them up. Tom really liked Gil and his insects and wanted to spent all his time with Gil. Suddenly he yelled and told his sister and Leena that he saw the car. Klara jumped up and stood next to Tom as the Denali pulled up and stood next to Tom as the Denali pulled up at the curb. Leena remained seated at the steps leading to the Dutch Embassy. She saw how Klara excitedly hugged Sara , the moment she got out of the car and started chatting half in English, half in Dutch. Sara apparently understood next to nothing of what Klara was telling her. Tom hugged Grissom as he stepped up to the sidewalk. Tom also started to talk at break neck speed. He spoke completely in English, with only a few mistakes. Leena saw confusion rising on Grissom's and Sara's faces as they kept their attention trained on the two energetic children. Leena tried to gauge their expressions and moods, but she couldn't find anything other then confusion and curiosity. Then Sara looked over to Leena: "He, you look exasperated, but I'm sure you are much better at telling us what is going on. Especially with the animals." Sara and Grissom had spotted the animals the moment they had pulled up to the Dutch Embassy and had briefly wondered amongst themselves why there were animals.

Tom, Klara and Grissom were looking at Leena, waiting for her explanation. Leena sighed: "Let me tell you about the morning I've had so far." Then she proceeded to tell them about the morning, all the events that led up to this moment. Leena finished with: "The people at the Embassy told me that they were not a shelter and were not intending to start with that. So that is how I got to sit on the steps of the Dutch Embassy with Tom, Klara, Flappie 1 and 2 and Crystal, I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for." Sara reassured Leena. Grissom was still digesting the information Leena had given them. He was sure that the animals would need to come back to their place. That was another expansion of his household, even though it was temporary. Where were they going to keep all the animals? Their house wasn't small, but it was getting rather full with Leena, the children and now the pets. "Ehm…Griss?" Sara called, breaking his reverie. "Yes, dear?"

"I think we need to take the pets home."

"Couldn't we bring them to a shelter?" Grissom asked, dreading a house so full. But Klara apparently had understood or had decided it was time to put a plea in: "Flappie 1 and 2 and Crystal are coming with us, yes?" at which she pleadingly looked into Grissom's eyes, apparently feeling that he was the one that needed persuading. Grissom was fastly becoming a sucker for her blue eyes and pleas. Sara and Leena had seen it happen before in the grocery, where Klara had successfully conned Grissom into buying Frosties instead of 'normal' cornflakes. Just like on that occasion Sara saw Grissom struggling, but eventually giving into Klara's plea. It was amusing to watch: where Grissom demanded a good, logical argument from his co-workers before giving into anything, the blue eyes of Klara were enough to bring Grissom to his knees. I'll have to try that once, Sara thought as Grissom told Klara that they could take the animals home. Then it was Tom's turn to do a request to Gil: "Gil, can we go home and get Blackie, Brownie and Little White?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you about them." Leena interrupted: "Those are their gerbils, they got them here in America."

"More animals?" Grissom asked, bemused and slightly bewildered.

"Yes."

"Oh, technically the house isn't cleared yet. Where are the gerbils, you said?"

"Yes gerbils. According to Tom in the study, have you checked there?"

"Yes, but there weren't any animals there. Just an empty terrarium." Grissom recalled.

"Gerbils are rodents who dig and sleep mostly under the ground. I think you didn't see them , but they were there." Leena said.

"Let me make a call and them we'll go there, but not in the living room." Grissom turned and flipped open his cell phone. Sara was being introduced to the pets by Klara and Tom, who told her all kind of stories about them.

Half an hour later Grissom opened the door to the Gerritsma residence. The children had been instructed to stay out of the living room, since the murder had occurred there. The children immediately ran upstairs to the study, which was located at the second floor. At a more leisurely pace Grissom, Sara and Leena followed them. As they entered the room the children had already found the habitat. It seemed empty, but several seconds after Tom had lifted the lid off, a small nose peeked out of the hay and wood chunks that lay in the habitat. "There they are! Hi Blacky, Browny, where is Little White?" Tom spoke as he gently stroked the brown rodent, while the third gerbil cam to look at the intruders. Tome opened the door of the cupboard an which the habitat was placed, and grabbed a container with food. He then filled the small bowl in the habitat that was partly covered with the filling of the habitat. The three rodents quickly went to the bowl picked something out of it and ran away to eat. "Those are funny little creatures." Leena said. "They are great." Tom said beaming. "Why don't we go and get some clothes for you kids, while Grissom puts the habitat in the car?" Sara said. During the car ride the adults had decided to get some clothes for the children and some toys. Grissom eyed Sara: "Yeah give me the easy job. Thanks Sar." Sara sweetly smiled at him: "Oh, I know you can do it, Griss. You did a marvellous job at the Dutch Embassy." At the Dutch Embassy it had taken fifteen minutes to put the rabbits and dog in the trunk of the car with the tarantula. Tom had been excited to see that Gil had taken the tarantula with him. But the trunks was stuffed and it would take some serious special insight to get the gerbil habitat in it. Grissom simply smiled at Sara. Ten minuets later Grissom took the two bags that Leena offered, which held the clothes of the two children. He placed them on the floor of the car in the back seats. Tom came down to Grissom and asked him: "Gil, did you find a tennis ball in the living room?"

"No, Tom. Why do you ask?" Gil crouched down despite the groaning of his knees. "Well, that was Crystals ball and I was playing with it when uncle Daan came. I think it might have rolled under the…ehm…you know where you can sit on." Tom couldn't find the word but Grissom seemed to understand: "Under the couch. But nothing could roll under the couch, there was no room under it."

"No room? No there was no chamber under the couch." Grissom looked at Tom, a little confused. "The ball always rolled under it." Tom said, trying to clarify. Suddenly something seemed to dawn on Grissom. He rose and called Sara. "Leena, you and the children stay here. Wait for us, we'll be right back. Sara grab your kit." Grissom turned and walked to the living room. Sara didn't hesitate, knowing Grissom, she realised that he was onto something.

"What is it Griss?" Sara asked as she walked into the living room, finding Grissom looking at the couch. "Tom said to me that a tennis ball used to roll under the couch. I thought there was not enough room under the couch, but I didn't check. Look at the couch, it seems as if there is no room for anything to slide under the couch, but apparently it can." Sara could see why someone would think that nothing could slide under the couch. A cloth was draped over the couch to make it look like the board of the couch reached to the floor. But Sara also saw something else on the cloth: a small red smear. "Grissom, look." Sara pointed. Grissom shone a beam of light on the indicated place. "Well spotted." Grissom complimented her. Sara had already sank to her knees and shone her light under the couch. "There is a ball and a knife under here."

"Let me take some pictures." Grissom retrieved the camera from the kit and quickly photographed the couch and the blood spatter. Then he handed the camera to Sara, who attempted to make a photo of the items under the couch. But that didn't work. Together they pushed the couch away and revealed a bloodied knife.

"I think we found the murder weapon." Sara commented before taking a picture.

"Yes, we've got to get this to the lab." Grissom said after he placed the knife in an evidence bag. Sara nodded.

Outside they told Leena and the children that they first had to make a stop at the lab, before going home.

"That's okay, but can you drop me off? I've got to get to the choir rehearsals." Leena said. "Sure, we'll make sure you get there Leena." Grissom said getting in the car.

**Author note: I hope you liked it, please tell me in reviews. Please review?? The next few chapters will focus on the Gerritsma case. **


	15. Handing over the case

**Author note: Here is another chapter. I hope you like it.**

Handing the case over

After they had dropped off Leena, Grissom drove to the lab. "Griss, you and the kids stay here, I'll be right back." Sara opened her door, but before she could get out Grissom stopped her: "Sara, just drop it off at the trace lab, say it needs to be processed a.s.a.p."

"Okay Griss." Sara stepped out of the car and ran to the door. Tom had watched he interaction closely and innocently asked: "Why does Sara call you Griss, Gil?" Grissom turned around in his chair and looked at the clear eyed boy: "Griss is a nickname, it is short for Grissom."

"What is a nick-name?"

"It is another way of calling someone, but the name still means something to both persons." Grissom could see the confusion mounting in Tom's eyes, so he gave an example: "Like when someone has red hair, his friends could call him 'Red' instead of his real name."

"Isn't that like being mean to someone?"

"Not if the person with red hair says it is okay to call him 'Red'."

"Okayyy." Tom didn't sound completely convinced.

"It's the same way with Leena, did you know Leena isn't her real name?"

"Yes, but everyone calls her Leena."

"Because it is difficult for us to say her name correct, so she told us it is okay if we call her Leena."

"Oh, okay."

"If you want you can also call me Griss." Grissom said, but Tom looked at hem and said: "NO, your name is Gil so I'll call you Gil." Tom was silent for a while satisfied for now, but not done thinking about this subject. Grissom smiled and decided not to confuse the boy any further by telling him his name wasn't really Gil, but Gilbert. Only Sara called him that and that was just right to Grissom. Grissom then looked at Klara, who was playing with a doll Leena had gotten out of her room. "Who is that Klara?" Klara looked up and very seriously said: "Promise you wont laugh?" Grissom put on his serious face and said: "I promise I won't laugh."

"First she was Princess, but now she is Princess Sara. She likes Sara, She is like Sara, very sweet and friendly. Do you think Sara is okay with sharing her name with Princess?" Grissom smiled: "I think Sara would be honoured to share her name with Princess." Klara beamed up at Grissom, but then her face crunched up. Grissom quickly got out of the car and opened the door next to Klara, fearing she was going to cry. Grissom softly asked Klara what was the matter as he crouched down.

"What is hon-our-ed? Klara asked. Grissom almost toppled over from relief, knowing Klara was fine and just puzzled by the meaning of an unknown word.

"Honoured means that Sara will like it very much to share her name." Klara threw her arms around Grissom's neck to hug him. In her excitement she also threw one of the bags filled with clothes out of the car. "Oh, I am sorry." Klara said as she quickly pulled back.

"Don't worry Klara. We can clean it up. Com on why don't you and Tom help?" Tom also climbed out of the car and helped them.

When Sara left the lab all she saw was an empty car with three open doors. Sara ran to the car, calling Gil, Klara and tom, who each of them stood up at the hearing of their names. Grissom was the first to respond: "What is the matter Sara?"

"I thought you were gone, never scare me like that again." Sara almost yelled, she could still feel her heart racing. Klara walked to her and took her hand. Sara bend down and hugged Klara hard. "We just pick up the bag that fall down." Klara tugged Sara to the other side of the car, where she showed her the few remaining scattered clothes. Sara had automatically corrected Klara's mistakes.

Grissom could still see some residual fear in Sara's eyes and quickly picked the rest of the clothes up and put the children back in the car: "Let's go home."

"Here honey." Grissom handed Sara a glass of wine. Sara was seated on the sofa and absentmindedly stroked Hank's head. They were watching the children play wit the rabbits and Crystal. When they had arrived Grissom had gotten Hank to meet the additional pets. When Hank had given them his approval Grissom and Sara had moved the pets inside the house. Now the children were playing with tem, Hank was temporarily forgotten. Sara had called him and gave him some attention. "Thank you dear." Grissom sat down next to Sara.

"I think I'm going to hand over the case Griss." Sara said without any introduction.

"The Gerritsma case? Why, we just recovered some vital evidence." Grissom knew why Sara had to hand over the case, but for her to say it was unexpected.

"I have to hand over the case for the same reasons you have to: we are emotionally to close to this case. We might not have been at the start of this case, but we are now." Sara looked at Grissom, who briefly looked at the two children and then returned his gaze to Sara: "When did you know?" He asked.

"I have known since this morning, when I saw the open, empty car. But I think it started when Klara fell asleep in my lap."

"For me it started when Tom and I watched and touched the tarantula, after that he trusted me and that felt good."

"You let him touch the tarantula?" Sara asked, slightly shocked, but then she amended: "Of course you let him touch her."

"It was perfectly safe."

"I know." Sara sighed, leaning back into Grissom's embrace. Hank sat up, when he noticed that Sara wasn't stroking him anymore. "Oh poor Hank, come here boy." Grissom patted on his leg and Hank sauntered over, Grissom rubbed him over his head. At that moment Crystal came to the sofa and wagged her tail. "See Hank, Crystal wants to play with you. After that we will walk you both."

When shift started that night Grissom handed the Gerritsma case to Nick and Catherin. "Come to my office, Sara and I will tell you what we know. Greg how is the Boulder Highway case?" Everyone turned to Greg. He had just finished with the last car. "Well it was a strange case. The evidence points to two different accidents: one malfunctioning car that slid off it's lane into the opposite driving lane and one car that hit another. The two accidents appear to be separate events. The malfunctioning car was first, after that two cars hit it and then came the other accident."

"How do you know the second wasn't a result from the first?" Nick asked.

"The driver had his foot on the accelerator and evidence on the other car is in such a way that it can only be an intentional hit."

"Greg is right. I saw that vehicle also. The second accident was intentional. It had to have happened at the same time or slightly before the malfunctioning car hit that lane." Sara spoke up.

"Have you processed all the evidence?" Grissom asked Greg.

"Yes, I'm going to write my report today."

"All right, you're on paperwork tonight. Try to get all the paperwork done on this case. You are second on call. Sara is first. Warrick you have a trick roll." Grissom handed Warrick the paper slip. "I'm going to finish the insect timeline., that will help our case of the two bodies in the dessert. Sara you can check up on the other evidence in that case. That is all people." Grissom watched everyone leave the break room, turning in different directions. When everyone had left he followed Sara, Catherine and Nick into his office.

"Sara!" David Hodges called from his lab. Sara turned around and walked to the lab, saying to Grissom: "I'll be right back."

"Grissom, the results from DNA and trace are back." Sara said waving the folders as she walked through the door of Grissom's office. "What do they say?"

"The blood on the couch is from Peter Gerritsma. The blood on the knife is from Peter, Caroline and Daan Gerritsma. Daan Gerritsma's blood was on the handle. The only fingerprints on the knife are from Daan Gerritsma. Brass is picking him up." Sara gave Grissom the folders.

"Okay, they worked nice and fast on this. Brass just called me, Peter had just changed the guardian for their children, or rather he and Caroline had told their lawyer that Daan Gerritsma was no longer the guardian for the children. I wonder if Daan knew. The police officer watching Daan Gerritsma said he hasn't seen any suspicious activity in the residence." Grissom said to Sara. Then he turned his attention to Catherine and Nick: "Okay Catherine, Nick here is the folder for the Gerritsma case. Sara and I have been working on it, but since the two remaining children are within our care we have to pull out. Peter and Caroline Gerritsma lived here with Tom and Klara, their children. Mr. and Mrs. Gerritsma were killed in their own home. Yesterday Sara and I found the murder weapon, it is at the trace lab. The Gerritsma family is from the Netherlands. That is how Leena got involved. Peter has a brother Daan, they wrote each other extensively. We found the letters Daan wrote, they are all in Dutch. Leena translated them, you should talk to her concerning the letters. She said she can meet you at ten, so you can come home with us and have breakfast, after that you can talk to her."

"Okay, we will do our best to solve this case."

"The crime scene has not been released yet. But we were there yesterday. That is all I'm going to tell you. The rest is in the file." Catherina and Nick simply nodded and took off, leaving Grissom and Sara in a silent office.

Grissom broke the silence: "That is all we can do. Let's get to work on our other cases." Sara nodded and left the office.

**Author Note: Please review.**


	16. Interrogating Daan Gerritsma

**Author note: Here is a new chapter, yes. **

Interrogating Daan Gerritsma

"It's not like Sara to hand over a case so close to solving." Nich commented as he and Catherine walked ito a lay out room. "I know, but you have seen how they are with Tom and Klara and how the children are around Sara and Grissom. They have all grown towards each other. I think Sara nor Grissom is willing to jeopardise this case." Catherine said, Nick looked at her thoughtfully. "Well if that is the case we better familiarise ourselves with this case. Sara said Brass is bringing in the brother. If I know Brass, that won't take long." Nick opened the file and placed the pictures on the table. "lets see what we've got."

"The Gerritsma family, they moved to the States six months ago. They have never had problems with the police, no complaints from the neighbours. The only remaining relative is the brother of Peter Gerritsma: Daan." Catherine started. Nick interrupted her: "No parent, grandparents, aunts or uncles?"

"No, none. The parents from Caroline died long ago. Peters parents died in the Netherlands, both had cancer. Apparently his mother died naturally, but the father was euthanized." Catherine stopped for a moment and looked at Nick, who commented: "interesting family."

"Daan Gerritsma already lived in America, but wrote his brother often." Catherine quickly went through the papers. "Here is Leena's report, listen: 'Daan and Peter Gerritsma had an active correspondence through the writing of letters. All letters were written in Dutch…bla bla bla… It appears as though Daan was angry with his father and Peter to request and allow euthanasia. One other issue that had the brothers fighting was the abortion Caroline had. The latest letter bears witness to a feud the brothers had over the raising of Tom and Klara, in which daan accused Peter of listening too much to Caroline in the matter.'"

"Since when is deciding over the upbringing of children the job of the father and his brother in stead of the father and the mother?" Nick asked astonished.

"I don't know, maybe Leena can shed some light on this. Let's call her." Catherine flipped her cell phone open and called. Agter a groggy Leena had answered it, she asked her what nick had wondered about. Nick saw Catherine nod a couple of times and ask some other questions. Catherine then ended the call, stating that she and Nick might not come the next morning. She shut her phone and looked at Nick: "She recons that Daan was intervering, where his opoinion was not asked. She says she can tell more if she reads Peters letters to Doon."

"Okay, so Daan was meddling. Sara effectively found that Daan doesn't care enough about th children to learn their proper names. According to Jim it was a classic trap, here: 'she named the children wrongly and Daan swallowed it, even worse, later he revered to the children with the wrong names.' Sara is so good with that." Nick said, Catherine read Brass's report on the incident and replied, laughing: "That is Sara."

"So the timeline. Daan says he went away, but did come to see his brother. However he had plenty of time to kell his brother and wife. The staff from the resort say Daan checked in at nine at night. He didn't want dinner. Sara and Grissom found the murder weapon yesterday. We know there were three blood contributions on the weapon. Daan's blood was also on the knife, which places him in the room at the time of the attack. There is no evidence of a fourth party in that room." Nick finished.

"Plus the fibres they collected from Daan's residence match the strange fibres they lifted from the Gerritsma residence. Sara and Grissom have effectively solved the case already. All we have to do is redo, re-examine the evidence to make sure it wasn't messed with and do the coming interrogation with Daan Gerritsma." Catherine summed up. At that time Catherine's beeper beeped. "It's Brass, he has Daan Gerritsma."

"I'm going to tell Grissom and Sara. They might want to see and listen."

"That is a great idea, I'll meet you there."

Nick rushed to Grissom's office. He briefly knocked on the doorframe, as ever Grissom's door was open. Grissom turned to the figure in his door. "Yes Nick, how can I help you?"

"We are going to interrogate Daan Gerritsma. I thought you and Sara might like to watch."

"Thank you, Nick. I'll tell Sara and then we'll come."

"He, it's pretty much done. You and Sara did most of the work, even if you handed the case over."

"I know Nick, but you and Catherine need to check it very carefully, so the lawyers can't find any holes. Make sure you don't make any mistake."

"We won't. If he did it, he'll go to jail for a long time." Nick saw Grissom nod and realised he was dismissed. Nick felt sure that Grissom and Sara would come to watch.

Catherin and Nick sw Brass coming down the hall, he was guiding a tall blonde man. Catherine estimated him to be taller then Warrick. "Here we are mister Gerritsma." Brass showed him the interrogation romm. Catherine and Nick followed them inside.

"Where is that leggy brunette, Sara? And the old man, who came to my home?"

"They handed the case to us, I am Catherine Willows and this is Nick Stokes, we'll be handling the case of your brother and sister-in-law."

"Why am I here? I cooperated with the police." Daan gruffly said.

"Yes and we appreciate that, but we have some questions for you." Brass abruptly said.

"So shoot." Daan invited Brass to start.

"First of all: did you manage to find some of the letters Peter wrote you?"

"No I told you I threw them out."

"Okay, on the night that your brother was killed you say you were out of town."

"I was. You can check with the staff at the hotel I stayed in. Haven't you done that yet?" Daan turned his attention to Catherine, who had asked the question.

"Yes, we did. We heard you checked in at nine o'clock? We have your neighbours saying you left at four. It's a two hour drive, where were you the remaining three hours?"

"Whit my brother."

"Did you have dinner?"

"Yes, we dined early."

"Did you help prepare dinner?"

"No, cooking was the one thing Caroline could do."

"It sounds like you didn't like Caroline."

"I didn't, my brother could have done much better. Caroline was a stupid cow, who believed the Dutch values were the best in the world. She even sacrificed one of her children."

"Are you referring to the abortion she had?"

"Yes, they say it was the only way. I say Caroline shoulf have died, the child would have lived. My brother could have raised the children himself, he didn't need Caroline totell him what he should do. It's to bad the killer killed my brother too, well anyway the children are saved. I will be able to raise them the American way. I just hope Caroline didn't instill to many dutch values in them all ready."

"So you say Caroline and Peter had it coming?"

"Not Peter, I know he saw my way and was on my side, but Caroline? Yeah Caroline had it coming." Catherine and Nick looked at each other, they had to return to the facts, see how much Daan could explain. Nick showed Daan a picture of a letter. "Did you write this letter, mister Gerritsma?"

"Yes I did."

"You wrote that Caroline was a bitch. Did Peter know how you felt about his wife?"

"Yes I often told him. He should have divorced her."

"Do you recognise this knife?" Daan was shown a picture of the murder weapon. "Yes it was one of her knives. I never touched it. She would have killed me if I touched that. It was one of her pride possessions."

"I noticed that you have a cut on your hand." Nick pointed to the cut on Daan's hand, that was healing.

"Yeah I cut it on a sharp edge on the bed in the hotel I stayed in."

"Then how come we found your blood on the knife?" Catherine asked, closely noting the changes in Daan's expression. His face showed surprise, acceptance and calculation. Finally it showed capitalisation: "All right, I'll tell you what happened. We were in the kitchen, Caroline, Peter and me. She was working on dinner. She had read the letter I had written to Peter. She felt like I was meddling with the upbringing of her children. I told her that they were Peters children too and he wanted them raised the American way. She then told me that Peter dindt feel that way. I said that she had lost her say when she had aborted her pregnancy. She then shouted at me, telling me she hadn't wanted to do that and how the hell do I know what exactly had happened anyway. That if I loved the family so much how com I hand't come to the Netherlands when my parents needed it. Through all the abuse I tried to remain calm for my brother, he can't handle all that drama. I told her I couldn't come. 'Bullocks' she said 'you wouldn't come.' Then she attacked, shouting that if I didn't care then how could I care now. I defended myself, but she did manage to cut me. I ran away. I don't know what happened after that. Maybe she finally snapped, killed my brother and herself." If Catherine, Nick and Brass were shocked by this account of the events, they didn't show it. Nick calmly asked: "This all happened in the kitchen?"

"Yes."

"And you left through the back door?"

"Yes."

"I'm asking you this because there is a problem. There is no evidence to support your story. The blood we found was on top of Caroline's and Peter's blood, which means that you had cut your hand after their attack. We found no blood in the kitchen, only in the living room. We found your fingerprints on the murder weapon, not Caroline's." Nick calmly explained. Daan tried to remain cool, collected. "So what does that mean?" Brass rose and spoke: "That means you are charged with the murders of Peter Gerritsma and Caroline Gerritsma. You have the right…" As Brass told Daan his rights and coffed him Nick and Catherine walked out of the room.

In the hallway Catherine and Nick met with Grissom and Sara, who closed the door to the observation area. "Thank you Catherine, Nick, nice job." Grissom said.

"You have done most of the work, we'll wrap it up and hand it to the DA." Catherine said.

"We are going to Daan's residence to see if we can find the letters. If we do we'll take them to Leena." Nick said.

"Leena will appreciate that." Grissom heaved a sigh: "Well that is done."

"Not quite. You need to take care of Klara and Tom. We don't know whether Peter Gerritsma appointed another guardian. If that is not the cse they will need to go to an orphanage. Who in Child Services is handling their case?" Catherine asked.

"Tammy in conjunction with Leena. You are right we have to see how we can make good arrangements for Klara and Tom."

"I'll call Leena and Tammy, see what they have to say." Sara said, reaching for her cell phone. Catherine stopped her: "No, don't call Leena. I already called her. She won't appreciate being woken twice."

"You're right." Sara smiled: "especially not since she has a long couple of days with rehearsals for the ball and the concert." Sara and Catherine started to walk towards the las, grissom and Nick trailing behind.

"He, Sara do you al ready have a dress for the ball?" Catherina asked quietly.

"Not yet. Maybe I can get Leena to come along to find a dress. I think she will like that. Would you like to join us Catherine, you have a good sense for fashion." Sara asked Catherine, but she said she couldn't make it, because she was going to spend a day with only her daughter.

**Author note: please tell me what you thought of this chapter. The next chapter is going to be lighter called Planning a secret zoo and shop trip.**


	17. Planning a secret zoo and shopping trip

**Author not: okay this is the new chapter, I hope you like it. I want to thank everyone for the nice reviews, i love them.**

Planning a secret zoo and shop trip

Grissom opened the door to his home and let Sara and Nick enter before he closed the door behind him. Tom peeped around the door leading to the living room, he called: "Gil and Sara are home and they brought Nick."

"He Tom, have you had breakfast yet?" Grissom asked as he placed his keys on the side table. "Yes, but we saved something for you and Sara. I don't know if we have enough for Nick. Why is Nick here?" The adults grinned and Nick answered: "I came to see you and Klara, we kinda miss you."

"Oh, well we have to sleep, but we are going to watch Leena sing, maybe you can come too."

"I'll see what I can do, but we wouldn't want to miss it. Is it okay if Warrick and Catherine come too?"

"Yes and Greg, he's funny." Tom almost danced around Nick, he couldn't contain his excitement. He liked the team, but Nick and Greg were his favourites, after Gil of course. At that moment Leena called from the living room: "Tom let them in so everyone can talk."

"Come on tom what have you got for breakfast?" Sara asked herding him into the living room, grinning. Tom and Klara could always bring a smile to her face and that of Grissom. Tom and Klara served breakfast, apparently they had made it, with a little help from Leena. It was a plain omelette and the adults loved it. Nick quickly told Leena what had happened and that he had searched Daan's house. He had found the letters, which Daan had held on to. He gave them to Leena: "I hope you won't mind translating these as well?"

"I don't, if you don't expect them translated by tomorrow. I have a busy schedule, but I'll see what I can do. Good job by the way."

"Thank you and thank you for translating the letters." Nick said handing the letters to Leena.

Sara, Grissom and Tom and Klara were doing the dishes, or rather Grissom and Sara were doing the dishes while Tom and Klara watched. "I think you deserve a treat Tom and Klara, you made a perfect breakfast. What do you think Sara?" Grissom said as he put the dishtowel away. Sara quickly wiped the sink and turned to Tom and Klara: "Definitely, you deserve a kiss, come here." Sara hugged and kissed the children. "I have to ask Leena something, I'm going to see if she an Nick have finished." Sara walked away leaving Grissom, Tom and Klara. Grissom grouched down and motioned for Tom and Klara closer, whispering he said: "I had something else in mind, what do you think of going to the zoo?" Tom and Klara almost couldn't contain themselves, jumping up and down. Grissom quickly put his finger on his lips: "Shh, this is our secret, okay? Let's give Leena and Sara a nice quiet day."

"Can we tell Leena and Sara afterwards? Can we take Crystal and Hank too?" Klara asked whispering. Grissom nodded: "Yes. I think Crystal and Hank would like to go outside."

Sara saw Nick hand the letters to Leena, knowing the conversation was almost over. "Hey Sara, I'm going home, I'll say goodbye to Grissom, Klara and Tom."

"All right." Sara moved away from the kitchen door letting Nick pass, but he first got his jacket. Sara then turned to Leena: "Would you like to com and shop for a dress with me? I don't really like shopping alone."

"Sure, but I already asked Heather to come and talk to me. Do you mind if she comes along?" Leena had noticed the strange tension between Sara and Heather. "Well if you're there I don't mind. Maybe she can help, she has a great sense for fashion, I heard." Before Leena could respond they heard some squeals coming from the kitchen, Leena turned around shocked.: "What happened there?" Sara casually raised her shoulders and started to explain: "Oh Grissom and I decided the children deserved a treat for making breakfast, so I gave them a kiss. Grissom is going to top me and take the children for a secret zoo trip. They are not going to ask us to come along, we don't have to tell them that we are going shopping. I told Grissom we were going to stay home for some rest, Grissom doesn't know we are going shopping, the dress has to be a surprise for him. The children get to go visit the zoo and we have a long afternoon to shop for the dress, everybody happy." Leena laughed: "That is a good plan Sara. Very well thought off. Let's get ready to go shopping.

Nick hadn't had the privilege of Sara's explanation, so when he heard the squeals he rushed into the kitchen and found Grissom, Tom and Klara huddled together. "What happened?" Nick asked. Tom turned around and shushed Nick: "Shhh." Placing his finger on his lips as Grissom had done he stood up and pulled Nick down. "We are going on a secret trip to the zoo. Sara and Leena are not allowed to hear. We are going to buy them a nice teddy bear and give them a day to rest." Klara had decided that they should get Sara and Leena something, because they weren't coming and she felt bad for them. Nick caught on and happily played along: "Oh man! A secret zoo trip? That is so cool. Can I come along too?" Klara looked at him very thoughtfully and then seriously nodded: "But you have to promise not to tell anyone, especially not Sara and Leena, okay?"

"Okay, I swear not to tell anyone?"

"NO." Klara said: "You have to promise." Nick and Grissom grinned and Nick said: "Okay, I'm sorry I promise."

"Good."

"Gil if Nick can come, then can Greg come along too?" Tom asked.

"Sure, but you'll have to call him." Grissom said. Then Nick asked a very important question: "When are we going, because I have to get my secret zoo trip clothes."

"How long does that take?" Tom asked seriously.

"Four hours, you see it is in my secret closet and that opens in four hours." Grissom looked on his watch, that would make it one o'clock, it would be perfect. "I think that would be great Nick, Sara is still asleep then. So we can sneak out of the house."

"Yeah, I'll tell Greg we'll be leaving then." Tom loved the trip and grabbed the phone. "Hello Greg, we are going on a secret zoo trip and you come too, okay? … Yes, Sara and Leena don't know because they need rest. And we are getting them a present… Gil, Klara, Nick and me… One o'clock, then does Nick's secret closet opens… Yes, but don't honk the car or push the doorbell, then Sara wakes up and we have to sneak out… Oh well, I'll be on the look out… Yes. Goodbye." Tom put the phone down. "He's coming too."

"Hey guys what are you doing in there?" Sara called from the living room. "We are just talking." Grissom called back. Sara opened the door and blinked: "Nick are you still here?"

"Nick came to say goodbye to Klara and me." Tom quickly said. "Well I suggest you say your goodbyes, because Leena wants to walk the dogs with you two." Sara pointed to Klara and Tom.

"Okay, well goodbye Nick." Tom shook Nick's hand and then hugged him. Klara came to Nick and lifted her hands: "Pick me up Nick." Sara, Grissom and Nick started laughing, Nick responded: "You are the prettiest girl I ever picked up, will you come and get a drink with me?" Klara looked at Nick as if he had lost his head: "No silly, you can get a goodbye kiss, goodbye." Klara smacked Nick on his cheek. "Goodbye princess." Nick pecked her on her cheek and put her back down.

"Klara! Tom! Let's go, so Grissom and Sara can get some sleep." Leena called from the hallway getting Hank and Crystal's leash on. Tom and Klara ran our of the kitchen, followed at a slower pace by Grissom, Sara and Nick.

Grissom and Sara waved goodbye to everyone and closed the door relishing in the silence that descended over their home. Grissom put his arms around Sara: "Peace and quiet." Sara leaned into his embrace: "What was it that Nick whispered to you, just before he started his car?"

"He and Greg are getting the necessities for the secret zoo trip, as long as I take care of the food or rather as long as I pay for the food."

"I gather that the children love the idea?"

"Yes, Nick came in and got invited providing he didn't tell anyone. Tom wanted to invite Greg so he's coming too. Tom told him not to use the doorbell or honk the car. That would only wake you up, so Tom is going to be on the look out." Sara laughed: "He thought of everything, didn't he?"

"Yes, he's smart, we leave at one, we're taking the dogs. You can have a nice quiet day with Leena." Grissom said, he only knew that Sara and Leena were going to spend the day. Sara had kept the real reason for the shopping trip secret. The dress was to be a surprise for Grissom. "Well lets go to bed the, get some sleep."

"I'm right behind you." Together Sara and Grissom went to the bedroom.

**Author note: please review (batting my eyelashes at you). Next chapter is going to be: Shopping with Leena and Heather**


	18. Shopping with Heather

**Author note: Ever since I started writing this story I wanted to write this chapter. I loved writing it, I hope you love reading it. **

Shopping with Heather

Sara woke up when Grissom shook her shoulder. "Sara, we are leaving, we will be back around seven o'clock. I think we will get some fries in the zoo."

"All right, have fun. Where is Leena?" Sara was still a bit drowsy.

"Tom and Klara asked her to pick up something up from the grocery. She'll be back soon."

"Okay, have fun." Grissom kissed Sara's forehead: "We will." When Grissom left Sara pretended to be asleep until she heard the front door close. As she got up she heard the car leave. Sara quickly showered, dressed in clothes she could easily shed, so the changing in the dressing room wouldn't take long. Sara occasionally went shopping, she didn't dislike it, but she also didn't love it. But Sara was excited about getting a new dress, the last one she had bought two years ago. A new dress to impress Grissom on the annual LVPD ball. As she made some tea Sara considered the shopping trip or more to the point Heather's company. Sara didn't know how she really felt about Heather, she had been a bit of a sore spot in Sara's and Grissom's relationship. Until now it was something neither discussed or talked about. Excepts the one time Grissom had visited Heather when she had tried to take her own life. But also that had passed without a discussion. Ding-dong, the doorbell rudely intervened Sara's thoughts. Quickly opening the door Sara found herself face to face with Heather. Sara saw in Heather's face a brief flicker of surprise, she knew it also showed on her won face, neither had expected the other: "Miss Kessler."

"Miss Sidle. I'm sorry to interrupt but I came to meet with Leena. Is she in?"

"She'll be back within a couple of minutes. She told me she was expecting you, please come in." Both women were civil, courteous to each other, following the social rules. Inside an uncomfortable silence descended, when neither spoke or sat down. Sara was the first to move into action: "Please sit down miss Kessler, would you like a cup of tea?"

"Thank you, a cup of tea would be nice." Heather sat down on the sofa, as Sara went to the kitchen she studied the insect displays and the interior. Heather rose to see something closer. When Sara walked back in with two cups of tea she saw Heather\s interest. "This is only a small, very small part of this collection." Sara commented to announce her presence. Heather turned and smiled: "It fits with the interior, very nicely done, it must have been a feat." Heather accepted the tea.

"Actually it was easier then I could have ever imagined. He was very good about it, letting me pick some things, choosing the interior with me." Sara came to stand next to Heather: "This display has always been my favourite, it turns out it was his favourite as well. Have you never been here before?"

"No, he always came to my place." Heather abruptly stopped as she understood the underlying meaning, she saw that Sara had seen it also. "I didn't mean it like that, I'm sorry."

"No it's alright. I shouldn't have asked." Sara said. At that moment she heard the key turn in the door. "That'll be Leena. I'm going to get her a cup of tea." Sara walked to the kitchen. A few moments later Leena came into the living room: "Hey Heather, you're here al ready. I'm sorry I had to go out to get something. Listen, Sara asked me to go shopping with her, would you like to come? We could use your fashion sense."

"If miss Sidle doesn't mind." Heather said as she greeted Leena. "I don't mind, here Leena some tea. We better hurry, Gil and the children will be back by seven. Oh miss Kessler if we are going to go shopping together you can call me Sara, less formal."

"You may call me Heather. Where are Grissom and the children if I may ask?"

"Oh you may, it's a great story. Can I tell her Sara?" Leena asked looking at Sara, who nodded.

Fifteen minutes later the three women were ready to go. Sara drove to one of the shopping centres. "Catherine gave me this address to go to. She said they have some very classy shops."

"I know this one, it is one of my favourites. I think you will be able to find something here." Heather commented as she pointed to a parking space. Sara quickly parked the car and got out. "I have to warn you two: I'm not the easiest person to shop with. It's not one of my favourite pastimes. Just to warn you." Sara said as the three gathered on the sidewalk. Walking to the centre Leena said: "Thank you for the warning." The three women laughed.

The first shop they went to had noting to anyone's liking. The second shop had some nice dresses, but Heather saw hat the stitching on some was loose, so they left that shop too, as they stepped out of the shop Sara thanked Heather: "I'm not a good seamstress, I wouldn't want my dress to fall apart."

"What are you looking for exactly Sara?"

"A dress for the gala, that will astonish Grissom and in which I look good and I don't have to wonder whether my dress will fall apart or off my body. It has to fit right. It has to scream I'm with Grissom, but I'm also an independent woman." Sara said.

"So basically you don't know, do you know what colour, length, sleeves, straps, strapless?" Leena pushed Sara, who looked at her and said: "I have no idea. And now I'm starting to freak out, do I have to know all those things now?"

"You really have no idea?"

"No, that's why I asked you to come with me, to tell me what looks good and what doesn't. When I go alone I get bored after two stores and go home." Sara said exasperated, starting to get annoyed with shopping. "Maybe we should try this store, it has a small collection of dresses." Heather pointed to a small store, which to Sara's liking held too much funky clothes.

"We have to start somewhere, come on Sara." Leena pulled Sara over the threshold. They were immediately ambushed by a perky salesgirl: "Can I help you?"

"We are looking for gala dresses." Leena said, before Sara could decline the help.

"Well we have some in the back, I'll show you." The girl led them to the back of the store, where some long dresses hung. "What style are you looking for? Very formal or funny?"

"I don't know." Sara admitted. Leena and heather were starting to look through the dresses. "Oh well, the best you can do is look through them, pick the ones you like and try them on. That way you see how the dress falls, how it feels and you can see what you like and dislike about the dress. But don't give up after one dress, just keep on trying, eventually you'll have a good picture of the dress or kind of dress you want." The girl advised kindly, seeing the look of desperation on Sara's face. Sara sighed, it was going to be a long shopping trip. "Hey Sara, Heather and I picked some dresses that might look good on you or we liked, why don't you try them on?" Leena called, she held three dresses, one soft pink with a lot of lace trimmings, a short brown dress, which could make Sara's eyes look great and a green one with a high waistline. Sara got in the dressing room and first tried on the brown dress. It didn't feel good and did nothing for her figure. "Sara come out of there, we want to see." Sara stepped out of the dressing room and walked to Leena, Heather and the girl. "What do you think Sara?"

"I don't like it, it feels uncomfortable. I don't care what you say, this is going back on the rack." Sara said decisively. Leena let out her breath: "Thank god. Please take that off. I don't ever want to see you in that."

"Absolutely." Heather said, the girl nodded. Sara changed in to the green dress and came out. She already knew this was not going to work either. Apparently so thought the others, the moment she stepped out Leena looked at her and then said: "You look pregnant, take it off" Sara didn't even wait for the other reactions, pregnant was definitely not the look she was searching for. She changed into the pink dress. It was a dress Sara would have discarded right away as having way to much lace, but remembering the advise the girl had given, she put it on. It looked good and felt food. "Well this is definitely the best so far." Sara said stepping out.

"It suits you." Leena said. "It fits your figure."

"Yeah, but I wouldn't want to wear it to the LVPD ball. It's too much lace, too playful, too much like a prom dress maybe."

"It's too rural." Heather said nodding.

"That's the word, rural, but other then that I like it." Sara said.

"We found this dress, would you put this on?" Leena handed Sara a dark blue dress, which was simple except for the shining square between the breasts. Sara wasn't sure but tried it on anyway. When she looked in the mirror she couldn't believe her eyes, it looked great. The dress was like Sara: no frills or unnecessary glitter, just the one square to give it a bit of bling, just enough.

"He, I like this one." Sara said, still looking at her reflection. "Well why don't you show us?" Leena asked impatiently.

"Oh sorry." Sara stepped out. Heather and Leena looked at Sara critically. "Yes, this dress is perfect, but I think it might be a bit too formal for a ball. It's more something you would wear to a concert. Other then that it's beautiful." Leena commented, Heather nodded. "Well I'll keep it in mind. Are there any other dresses here that I should try?" Sara asked, receiving a negative response she got changed into her own clothes. Before they left for the next store Sara thanked the salesgirl and memorized the name of the store.

The next store they went to was more attuned to Sara's own dress style, but had no dresses any of the women liked on Sara. Sara announced she needed a cup of coffee, so they went to te nearest Starbucks. After getting their drinks and a bagel, the three women sat down to drink and chat. "Normally I'd go to the store were I buy all my clothes, but they don't carry gala dresses." Sara said in answer to Heathers question how she shopped for clothes. "So this is the first time you needed a gala dress?"

"NO, I have three dresses, but I thought it would be nice to buy a new one." Sara explained. Leena then couldn't contain her curiosity: "So how are you linked, other then the cases?" Shocking both Sara and Heather, which was a feat not easily accomplished. "Ehm…" Sara was searching for the right words not finding them. Heather did: "Grissom and I have something of a past, I think you could maybe call it a past. But we are friends now." Sara nodded approving of Heathers words.

"Did you two ever talk about it?"

"No there was never a need. I'm done, shall we go." Sara abruptly ended the conversation, not willing to discuss it further. Leena got the hint and got up. Heather followed, she looked as if she wanted to say something, but in the end didn't.

After visiting a shop which held dresses for, as Sara put it, elderly women, they entered a shop Catherin had recommended. Again a salesgirl came up to them: "Welcome, can I help you?"

"Yes, we are looking for gala dresses." Sara said. "Where can we find them?"

"If you'll follow me, I'll show you." The lady brought them to the side of the store where there were some temporary screens. "Please excuse us, but we had a little flooding in our magazine, so we had to put some racks here. Please don't pay attention to the screens. Here are the gala dresses, the dressing room is in the back. I will leave you alone, if you need me I will be at the front of the store or ask someone else if you can't find me."

"Thank you." Sara thanked the lady before she walked away.

"There are some beautiful dresses here Sara. Come and have a look." Leena called over. Sara, Leena and Heather picked a few dresses for Sara to try. In the dressing room Sara's mobile rang. Sara picked it up and listened to the caller. Then she called for Leena: "Leena, there is someone, who want to talk to you about a rehearsal."

"Oh I wasn't expecting anyone." Leena took the phone from Sara and walked out of the store. When she finally came back she handed the phone back to Sara who said: "You missed two dresses, but they have been returned al ready. What was the call about?"

"I have to go, they want an extra rehearsal, there is something wrong with the electronics and one of the songs that had been cancelled is back on the playlist. It is a difficult song so I have to go. I'm sorry Sara. Will you and Heather be all right?" Leena apologized. Sara's face fell, but she quickly said to Leena: "If you have to go, you have to go. Heather and I will be fine."

"Sara is right. I'll see you later." Heather kissed Leena's cheeks and said goodbye.

"I'm sorry Sara." Leena said as she hugged Sara.

"Don't be silly. I know work emergencies. Go on go. I'll meet you back home."

There was an awkward silence between Sara and Heather, when Leena had left. Sara grabbed a dress and said: "I'm going to change into the next dress." Heather waited for Sara to return/ When Sara stepped out of the dressing room, Heather looked her up and down critically, like she had done every time Sara wore a new dress. But somehow Sara felt uncomfortable now, there was still an uncomfortable silence, which Heather broke: "Why do you feel uncomfortable discussing the past that Grissom and I shared, with Leena?"

"I wasn't uncomfortable." Sara said defensively.

"Come on Sara. You ended that conversation abruptly, that and your rigid body tells even a blind man you were uncomfortable. Leena is your friend, isn't she?"

"It is not my friendship with Leena that made me uncomfortable. It is the fact that I don't know what it was between you and Grissom." Both women hadn't forgotten where they were and kept their volume low. Cara continued: "I don't know what to say about you two, because I don't know the truth."

"Grissom said you are one of the best csi's in the country and you have no clue?"

"I don't know because I never saw any evidence. All I hear are rumours and I refuse to treat rumours as true."

"You and Grissom never spoke about it?"

"No, there was never a need. You two were consenting adults, if anything happened. I always knew Grissom had a past, so do I. Grissom doesn't know about every boyfriend I ever had, he doesn't need to."

"He knows about Hank." Heather said trying to shock Sara.

"Everybody knows about Hank." Sara shrugged.

"You never spoke about us, not even when he came to me after you helped me in the hospital?"

"No, I told him to do what he felt he needed to do. I trust him. In our relationship you don't matter, you have no role." Sara clarified. Heathers expression changed from surprise to acceptance? Pride? Sara didn't know. "okay, I wanted to thank you for being so kind to me in the hospital. Even though you knew Grissom and I shared something."

"You're welcome, now tell me what you think about this dress." Sara stepped back a little.

"This one makes you short, you have long legs, show them." Heather said.

"I thought the same thing, was this the last dress."

"Yes, but we hadn't looked at all of them. There were two more racks." Heather waited for Sara to change out of the dress. Sara walked to one of the racks they hadn't seen yet, Heather walked to the last one. "I don't know, I don't think we will find a nice dres here. I think we should go home. It's getting late." Sara said as she turned away form the rack she had just looked through. "Hey, what is this? This rack wasn't heer the last time I checked." Sara said calling to Heather. "I'm coming just one moment." Sara walked to the rack which held black and red dresses. "Oh Grissom is going to love this one. Heather I think I found the perfect dress. Wait here I'm going to change." Sara quickly changed into the red dress. When she looked at herself she knew it was the perfect dress. It was a beautiful vibrant red colour, had off the shoulders bands, a tight closing top and a skirt that reached to the ground, which flared out slightly and had a mid thigh slit. The basic was all well and good, but what made it perfect was the layer of fabric over the base: red lace in a darker shade as the dress, it was fastened on the top of the dress, but from the waist down it was separate from the base dress. The lace did not have a slit, where the base dress did have a slit. What made it perfect for Grissom was the pattern. The lace wasn't in the ordinary floral pattern, this lace had a pattern of beetles, butterflies, crickets, ladybugs, caterpillars, spiders and dragonflies. At first glance you wouldn't notice the pattern as such, but on closer inspection it was hard not to notice.

When Sara walked to Heather she knew she was going to buy this dress. When Heather saw Sara, she didn't say anything, just looked at her, but in the end she said: "You are right. Grissom is going to love it. And it looks great on you." Sara beamed: "I know, I just can't find the price tag." At that moment the salesgirl came back: "How is everything ladies?"

"Perfect I found the right dress, but it has no price tag." Sara showed the dress.

"It looks great on you. Where did you find it?"

"Here on this rack." Sara showed her where she had found the rack.

"Oh, those dresses weren't for sale. They are for Halloween. That's why the pattern in the lace is quite creepy with all the bugs."

"That is what I love about the dress. My partner studies insects, he would love it also. Couldn't you sell me one?" Sara said hoping the saleswoman would sell her the dress. "It would make my day and the day of the ball perfect."

"All right, on one condition."

"Which is"

"If anyone asks where you got that dress tell them you found it here?"

"I will." Sara said smiling. "I'm going to change and then I'll come and pay." Ten minutes later Sara and Heather where standing outside the store. "Sara do we have a little time left?"

"Yes, but not much. Do you need something?"

"No, but the last time I was here I found a store with the perfect choker to go with your dress. It's black with a large black and red butterfly on it. Besides that they have a large collection of very nice shoes." Heather said, pointing to the shop.

"Okay, lets go. I want to be home in forty minutes." Sara and Heather walked to the shop.

Forty five minutes later Sara opened the door to her home and closed it after Heather had stepped in. "Thank you for your company and the necklace tip. It has been fun Heather." Sara said.

"You are welcome and yes it has been fun."

"Do you want a cup of tea?"

"No thank you, I have to get back home." Heather declined. The two women shook hands.

**Author Note: So I hope you liked it, please tell me what you thought of it. The next chapter is going to be the Secret Zoo Trip, but I have to write that one first, so it might take me a bit longer to upload it here. In meantime please review this chapter. Pleeeaaaasssseee?**


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